


Dawn Shadows

by orphan_account



Series: From Dawn To Dusk [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adventure, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Arkenstone - Freeform, Broken Bones, Corset, Death, Destruction of Lake-town, Dire-wolf, Drama, Ear Piercings, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Goblins, Gold Sickness, Graphic Description, Graphic Descriptions of Basically Everything, Hobbits, Humans, Humor, Imprisonment, Lake-town, Middle Earth, Mirkwood, Night Terrors, Orcs, Rivendell, Romance, Sarcasm, Sass, Scars, Septim Piercing, Slave Collar, Slow Build, Snake Bite Piercings, Swords, The One - Freeform, The Shire, Training, True Love, Under Bust Corset, War, Wargs, Wizards, Wounds, axes, battles, bow and arrow, changlings, dragon - Freeform, dragon fire, skin changers, stiches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-05-27 00:25:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 40,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6261868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fifty-six-year-old Asha Brystowe diSorvina is not like the prim and proper ladies of Middle Earth. Fierce and independent, she drifts from place to place until an unexpected visit from an old friend brings her into the fold of a dangerous quest, the arms of friends, old and new alike, and the heart of a Dwarf who seems keen on upsetting the balance of her life. One that seems to hold enough power to destroy the shield she has so carefully woven to protect herself, leaving her with nothing more than a memory of happiness. </p><p>Asha and Kili are caught in a clash between love and secrets that could destroy them both, and put a forever end to the DAWN SHADOWS.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

_Ambellshire, Middle Earth, 2933_

_In the House on Ambellshire Ridge, the outlaws were arguing again._

_Wakeful in her upstairs chamber, Asha Brystowe diSorvina sat in the bright torch light. The Hunter's Moon, full and diamond-bright, blazed over the dark tree-covered hills. The men in the hall below were drunken and joyful. They had ridden out at sunset, her Master at their head. They had returned hours later, clamoring as if they had conquered a kingdom. Mayhapes the Orcs had._

_The noise rose to a crescendo. Furga, motionless in his place beside the door, swiveled her fine dark ears back as if the shouting hurt. Mora lifted her own dark, narrow head and gazed at her mistress._

_"It's alright." Asha said. "They will stop soon."_

_Someone whooped. "I win!" A man roared. She thought it was Nils, the eldest brother to her Master, the sound of the Black Speech loud to her own ears. "Pay up, you luckless devils!" Suddenly the shouting ceased. Treion had tired of the noise at last. The yelling did not resume. Asha stretched her arms over her head. Her muscles ached._

_She was young compared to her family during the time of her capture, at a mere six years of age, and when she had stood beside her families tall, densely muscled frames, she appeared even slighter than she was. She was compact, with a small, heart-shaped face. Her rich, pale curls were the color of freshly fallen snow. She had pale skin that stayed the color of fine china no matter how much time she spent in the sun; it made her brilliant silver-blue eyes seem that much brighter when compared to the paleness of her skin and that dark, thick lashes that surrounded her almond eyes. She was only a few inches past four foot tall, but she took her appearance in stride, knowing that there was little to do for it._

_The fact that she would never see her family again bothered her more than her pale looks or the thick, metal collar that wrapped around her neck, carvings etched into the iron that seemed almost floral, if not for the harshness of the look. It was a slaves collar, one that had been banded around her neck since childhood._

_It would mark her always. Or so she thought._

_An ice storm blew across the hills that night. It left the tree branches bowed and crystalline. All night Asha had heard them tinkling and snapping over the sound of her Master's bandits._

_"It sounds like an army moving through the woods." She thought sleepily. Despite the freezing cold outside, the small room was dry and warm. A single thin quilt lay unheeded at the foot of the bed. Across the distance, against the farthest wall, a pine-scented fire burned in the hearth, but the warmth came most from the woman. Although she was young, scarcely fifty-one years of age, her face was an adult's, not a girl's: She was a woman who could command the attention of an entire room, and did._

_In the chamber next door, her Master's father, oblivious to what was happening in his caves, snored. He, too, was drunk. He was constantly drunk, now. He had started drinking before he had lost his arm to a Dwarf attack, and since that event, many years past now, he kept a bottle always nearby. On good days he was lucid, and, while cruel, he was fair. On bad ones he marched through the caves, their cave, shouting incoherent orders, half naked, breathing ale fumes into the faces of those who had once obeyed him. They had no time for the sick, crippled warrior now, and until he proved himself, they would not follow him for the world's riches._

_A shout sounded from the caves open courtyard, startling Asha from her thoughts._

_Then she heard the rush of footsteps through the caves. Booted feet came down the hall. The dogs came silently to their feet. Furga faced the door, her midnight black pelt erect. Mora growled deep in her throat._

_"Hush." Asha said softly. She moved to the strange window that was cut into the cave wall and peered through the gap in the shutter. The clearing in front of the manor was ringed with armed men. Torch light glinted off sward blades. She backed away from the window._

_The small sword her mother had left her lay beneath her cot. She strapped it on. A fist hammered on the door of the chamber next to hers. The white Orc yelled a stream of drunken curses. A quietly competent voice told him to be still. She waited for them to pound on her door. But they did not. She heard the white Orcs angry voice, and the sound of booted feet retreated down the stairway._

_She opened her chamber door, and gestured to the wolf pups. They went downstairs together. The hall was devoid of life, except for a bloodstained Warg grooming in the corner. It raised its head to growl at the slave and her two companions as they past, but Asha paid it little attention._

_The main door was ajar. Through the opening she saw a battle raging, although who was friend or foe, she could not tell. She put her hand glat on the door and pushed. It was stuck; it would not move. Her fingers trembled as the sound of the battle finally reached her ears._

_Cursing softly under her breath, her voice light and as lilting as birdsong, she pushed the door open with her shoulder. With Furga and Mora flanking her on either side, she descended the steps, all but running as she took in the chaos around her. A strange, hot wind rose from the earth, bowing those in the cave as if a giants hand had swept across their torsos. Dust and dirt and tiny pebbles whirled in circles. Half-blinded by the swirling dust, Asha grabbed for the wolves collars. She could not find them. The hot wind thundered in her ears. She saw the world go dark for a moment, as dark as the darkest mountain caves. Then fire blinded the world and she screamed._

_A bright light seared the clearing. White flame dripped along the walls of the cave home. Its walls, it's heavy timbers . . . Fire filled her vision. The world was burning. Fire whipped about her, devouring the air. She panted, fighting for breath. A terrible, inhuman bellow shook her to her knees. She struggled to her feet._

_Pain shot across her neck. She yanked at the iron collar around her neck, but could not fling it away. A searing silver rain spattered at her feet. Flaims erupted from all that surrounded her. And then she was out of the cave, running, and falling, and running again. A tree crashed in front of her, showering her with sparks. Eyes tight shut against the bitter smoke, she felt her way around it. A body cannoned into her, but it did not stop to see if she was okay._

_Suddenly her legs went out from under her. She fell, and slid into a sour, enveloping coolness. Near her, someone, or something, sobbed . She clutched at the riverbank for only a moment before letting go, allowing the water to sweep her away. Far away, a horse screamed in agony, a terrible rending sound._

_The sobbing creature cursed, and Asha realized with a start that it was her._

_~~~_

_Eventually she passed from the fire, and the world around her calmed._

_Asha sat on a rock She had no idea how she had gotten there; she did not recall leaving the haven of the river after it swept her away. Below her the land sloped down toward rolling green hills, and beautiful woods._

_Mora shivered at her feet. The black wolf pup had somehow remained with her through her flight through the woods, and even to the river. Her coat was caked with mud; she trembled, but appeared to be unhurt. Furga was gone: dead no doubt. Asha's limbs felt sluggish and sore, as if she had been beaten._

_Her thin, tattered gown was charred. She still had her sword, though; somehow, through the long hours swirling through the reeds and river rocks and water, it had stayed in its sheath._

_Clouds like feathers streaked the pale mauve sky. A shadow passed over the sun. She looked up. High above her, large clouds passed over the sun._

_A place on her side pulsed with pain, as well as the fresh lashes that had been applied across her back only two days before. She heard her Father's cool, astringent voice in her head, reminding her that tea, or a paste made of egg whites and honey, would ease tha pain of burns and scalds. She had neither._

_"Where will we go?"_

_"I know a place, Mora." Asha had a picture in her mind, of a ace where the river widened into a pool beside a tangle of berry bushes. Near it lay a small village, filled to the brim with little people with furry feet and kind eyes. Her mother had brought her to it, soon after they arrived from the far west._

_'What is this place, mama?' A tiny Asha asked, her eyes wide._

_Her mother had simply smiled. 'A place where I was happy. I wanted you to see it. Should your life ever be in danger, or you don't know where to turn, travel here and ask for the Tooks. They will take good care of you.'_

_"Are you sure?" Mora asked, her tone skeptical as she craned her neck to look up at her Master with wide eyes._

_"Yes." She said. "I'm sure."_

_Her legs ached, and her chest hurt from breathing smoke. She was stiff. The longer she sat, the stiffer her body would be. She rose. With the wolf pup at her heels, she ascended the slope. At the crest of the ridge, she stopped. Below her spread a meadow, and beyond it the blue-green tinge of forest. A glint of silver caught her eye: the river, curving through the emerald meadow grass. She trudged down the slope. The river was farther away than she had thought._

_~~~_

_The burning of Ambellshire Ridge made news across the Shire._

_In Underhill Market, where the first sketchy tales were told, the farmers and the shepherds spoke of it with grim satisfaction. They were not a vengeful fold, Hobbits seldom where, but the Orcs and his cutthroats were well-known and feared, and all of them had suffered, over the years, from the Orcs attentions._

_No was felt a loss when they were told that the Orcs had been all but slaughtered._

_~~~_

_The day after the burning, Belladonna Took went out to mend the stone fence that ran along the eastern border of her home._

_She was very weary. Neither she nor her husband had slept for two nights. Their son was sick. In the thirty two years of his life, Bilbo had never been one to suffer from random fevers or coughing spells, but he had fallen ill over the past week. Belladonna had sat up with him most of the night._

_"Mama, it hurts." He whispered hoarsely, holding his throat. "Why does it hurt so much?" She could not answer._

_"It's the ash from the fire." Belladonna said quietly, bathing his face. "My sweet, it will pass."_

_A light pal of smoke marred the sky to the north._

_The biggest of the stones had tumbled from the fence and sunk into the mud. She rocked it and kicked at them, but the ground held them firm. She knew that she would need stick to pry it loose._

_She went back to her small shed and found an old ax handle. As she levered the stone out of the sucking soil, a strange sensation washed over her and told her that she was no longer alone. A small woman stood on the other side of the fence, with a lean black wolf pup pressed close to her side._

_She was dirty, with a soiled and stained blue gown. Her hair was long and reached past her waist, but it was so uneven that it looked to her as if someone had chopped at it with a knife. She had never seen her before. The wolf gazed at her fixedly._

_"When I was little my mother brought me here and told me of the Tooks. She said that they were brave and that if I ever required help, that they would help me. Does this still stand true?" The woman said. She had a pleasant voice, as soft as silk and as high as a birds song._

_~~~_

_Belladonna never did finish the fence that day._

_~~~_

_The small Hobbit home was warm, and it smelled of new bread. A tabby cat looked up from its place on the windowsill to gaze suspiciously at the black dog._

_"Grace to your home." Asha said. She took the cup the female Hobbit, Belladonna, handed her, and sipped slowly. The cider's fruity wine taste made her momentarily dizzy. "My name is Asha."_

_Belladonna smiled at her. "Sit, little one." She said, indicating a bench beside the table. "Have breakfast with us, and we'll discuss your story." A platter on the table help a loaf of bread and several thick slices of cheese and meat. Asha laid a slice of cheese across a slab of bread and bit into it, moaning softly as she did. The bread of small bits of nuts in it. Her fingers shook, and she had to force herself to eat slowly. Belladonna set a bowl on the floor for the black wolf, her gaze only slightly fearful._

_"Tell us, please, what happened." And so she did. At the end of her recital, Belladonna said slowly. "This is quite a tale you have told us. Imagine, all those years ago, that little woman her her tiny child would turn out to be Min-An-Ton's! The Great Wolf Changelings! Amazing!"_

_Asha nodded. "I know that it is hard to believe, and I would shift, to prove myself, but the collar prevents me from doing so. Should I shift, the collar would be much to small for my other form and I would choke."_

_"Oh, I believe you. Perhaps, in the coming days, we can find someone with enough skill to remove it from you."_

_Asha smiled. "Do you think you would be able to?"_

_"I'm sure that we can try." Belladonna smiled, pouring more cider into Asha's cup. "So, you're family is dead, you've been a slave for the past twelve years, you've escaped and earned your freedom. What will you do now?"_

_"I don't know. I slept last night under the cover of the trees but the river. But my mother said that if I was ever in need of help, that the Took may or may not help me." Asha answered honestly._

_A small, horse voice called out. "Mama? Who are you talking to?"_

_Rising, Belladonna lumbered to a hallway, and, curious, Asha followed after. "We have a guest, Bilbo, sweet." She said. "She has come to visit us, and mayhapes stay for a short while. Her name is Asha."_

_"What does she look like? I want to see her."_

_Asha stepped to the half sleeping child and smiled, realizing that the child was no child at all, but more than a few years older than herself! His cheeks were flushed, his eyes bright with intelligence and fever._

_"Hello, why is your dress torn." He said, his voice thin from lack of breath._

_"I was walking through the woods." Asha replied._

_Bilbo shook his head. "You should be more careful, you know." He coughed, a painful barking sound._

_"You're right." Asha agreed. "I shall be, I promise." The tabby cat jumped on the bed, turned about twice and began to wash._

_Belladonna coaxed Bilbo to drink. She straightened the bed clothes, crooning._

_When the two exited the room, Asha asked. "How long has he been like this?"_

_"Three days. He is better today than he was yesterday. He strengthens with the sunlight. But then at night the cough returns._

_"If you will lend me a bot, and a flask of wine, I can brew a tisane to help control the cough."_

_"You have skill in such matters?" Asha nodded. "You may stay. I'll show you were the pots are, and the wine."_

_Asha smiled._

_~~~_

_That afternoon, Asha went fishing, catching two trout. She cut off their heads, grilled them, and seasoned them with rosemary plucked from the woods. As the sun moved slowly into the western sky, Asha looked for herbs. She found Lavender. She found Chamomile and Sorrel. She found Foxglove and Penny-Royal and Sage. She even found Poppy grown near the river._

_That evening Asha ate stewed squirrel by candlelight. She slept on dried sweet-grass, under a clean blanket. In the morning she took sweet smelling, rose scented soap and new clothes to the river. Using her hands, she scooped the cold river water over every inch of her body. She scrubbed her skin with the soap, and then again with a soapy cloth till her normally pale skin was strawberry red. She payed special attention to her hair. She washed thrice, yet still she did not feel clean until she had gone so far as to use the soap down to the last sliver, her skin tingling almost painfully from the rough scrubbing she had put it through._

_Shivering, but clean, she washed the small gown. Then, moved by an impulse she did not understand, she gripped it between both hands and tore it down the middle._

_The next day she handed the tisane she had promised over to Belladonna. It held Elecampus Root, Licorice, and Bellflower, all of which she had brought from the market after her bath the day before. She had guessed at the proportions. Bilbo was no larger than a child, and her father had always warned her that herbals meant for children should be more dilute than those made for adults._

_"Let him drink this when he coughs. You can add honey to it if he finds it bitter." Asha explained slowly, watching Bilbo with wide eyes. "He must remember to eat. He needs the strength. Don't allow her to have milk, though. He can have water, or soups. Honey if very good for the healing process as well." She tried to remember what she had heard her father say when children were sickly, as they were, every winter. "Rub his chest with grease, and bind it lightly with flannel. It will help to keep him warm."_

_The following day Asha was sitting at a blacksmiths homes, hoping against all hope that he would be able to remove her collar, when Belladonna appeared. She was ruddy-faced, and breathed as though she had been running. She had been running._

_"Bilbo?" Asha said in a rush, her eyes growing wide. "He's worse?"_

_Her grin was wide as a river as she bent down and scooped the little Changeling into her arms, holding her close to her chest. "He sleeps, and he's ate for the first time in nearly a week. I can not thank you enough, Asha."_

_She sat her down then and extended the flask in which she had poured the tisane. It was nearly empty._

_"I'll make more. Enough to last a long while."_

_~~~_

_In the months that followed, Asha realized that happenstance - the gods' will, Belladonna said, but then she was a devout woman in her way - had given her not only a friendship with Bilbo and his mother, but a family as well, one without which she surely wouldn't not have survived the winter, and certainly not in any comfort._

_The end of Summer approached and Fall came and it grew cold. When Winter made an appearance, the storms blew over the mountains, veiling the fields with snow as high as Asha's waist. Through out the beginning Winter months and well into the new year, days went by when they saw no other face but each others. But then a gloved hand out pound on the door, and Asha or Bilbo or Belladonna would open the door to find a neighbor standing on the doorstep, fur-clad, breathing steam, pulling a laden sledge. Sometimes it held salted meat, once a half round of cheese. Often, they would bring bread. Asha, in return would hunt when the sky's were still, bring to the Shire rabbit meat and occasionally pheasant or duck. Twice she spotted deer, and twice she was able to bring back a large, young buck, thick with meat._

_In times of thaw, she sometimes went back with the visitors, going to the small children of the Shire and giving away wonderful wooden dolls, which always had an elaborate tale to go with it. There were were many dolls. They were, Asha would declare, all kings, queens, wizards, warriors. They were gorgeously dressed, in lace and fur, silk and wool, taffeta and satin. Their bodies were all made of wood, with careful ball-joints that allowed for easy movement. During the days spent with nothing else to occupy her time, Asha could always be found sitting before the fireplace, whittling a new doll or sewing a new dress or tunic or some other such._

_"What do you plan to do with them?" Belladonna asked one evening, clearly curious._

_"I'll continue to give them to the small children for a time, but I think that I'll begin to save them, and sell them come spring time." She picked up one with red wool for hair and a haughty look on her smooth painted face. "The children like them well enough that I can't imagine the parents not seeking them out after a time."_

_She wasn't so sure about them buying anything from her if they knew what she truly was, though._

_Once, when the two women were alone in the house, Belladonna spoke of her husbands death, and her's, which she was sure to be soon coming._

_"I'm leaving Bag-End to Bilbo, my child."_

_"The home is yours, then?"_

_"Aye. My dear husband left it to me. He built it with his own hands, you see. It is not so big, but it serves us. We want for not and I will tell Bilbo that you are to remain here, if you so wish. Or you may come and go as you please. I've grown rather fond of you over the past half year, and I believe Bilbo has as well. I do not see him fighting me about this."_

_"I hope to travel soon, but I'm afraid to do so." Asha admitted._

_"And why is that?"_

_"The collar. It will tell people what I am. What I was."_

_"Don't you mind your pretty little head over that one bit. Let me take care of that." Belladonna said quickly, a bright sparkle in her eyes._

_~~~_

_Twice that winter Asha glimpsed others in the forest as she hunt. Once is was a bearded stumpy man dressed in rags. He wore a shapeless cap on his head. She asked Belladonna about him._

_"I do not know his name, but he lives with his brother in the forest, although no one is sure as to were." Belladonna said. "In autumn they come to help with the harvest."_

_The second time, she was gathering bark, and dry wood when Mora growled: the low steady rumble that warned a stranger to come no closer. Asha turned. A woman stood watching her. Her white hair blazed about her seamed, strong face. Her clothes were stained, shapeless, and ragged._

_Asha watched her for a moment before speaking. "Good morning, Gran."_

_The woman did not answer, and, after standing still for much to long, Asha turned back to her task. When she next glanced behind her, the woman had vanished. She asked Belladonna about her too._

_"You saw the old woman? Not many do. She lives deep in the forest. Many think her to be a witch."_

_"What do you think?"_

_"I think she's harmless." Belladonna said, watching as Asha stirred her stew pot. "I sometimes leave bread for her, in the winter, and meat other times, when I have it. What can it hurt?"_

_~~~_

_It was spring time again, and Asha Brystowe diSorvina was fishing in the river when she heard the first cries echoing through the Shire._

_The cries were moving slowly, almost silently, the wind just barely holding the noise together._

_She stood trembling. She wanted to run, to trust herself, like a wounded animal, into a dark, safe hole._

_Belladonna had past one to the next life, she was sure. Her fingers came up and carefully brushed against the beautiful velvet cover Belladonna had made for her collar, so that it would seem more a piece of jewelry than a mark of slavery._

_It was well past time for Asha to begin traveling, she decided, and the moment they covered old Belledonna's body with dirt Asha was gone, with not so much as a note explaining where she had gone to._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hia to all you beautiful bastards; I hope you having a fabulous Monday and welcome to AshCoalWriting! Before we jump into everything, I just want to say something real quick. If you are a person who just got offended by what I just wrote, then you don't need to be reading my story. I thought I'd go ahead and get that out, so now that it's out of the way, lets just jump right into it, shall we? 
> 
> As you may or may not have noticed I recently took down the Voting station from my profile, but never fear! You can still find it at Quotev.com under the same name: AshCoalWriting. If you didn't notice then you probably don't care and can go ahead and skip right now to the next section of this Authors Note. If you did notice it, then I salute you, because you're awesome. The poll is still up for anyone who wants to continue to vote, but it will be a different story if it comes out to anyone other than Kili - I went ahead and thought about this story and decided that Kili would be just too great for it, so he's staying. 
> 
> On to the next thing ~ I can't promise regular updates, mainly because I am: 1.) A full time mother. 2.) A full time worker. 3.) Who is living with her father until she can get on her feet. So the likely hood of me posting religiously ever Monday or Friday or anything like that is about zero. I can say that I hope to get about two (?) updates a month out, so please don't hate me to bad and don't give up on my story because it's going slowly, or it seems like it's been forever since I published everything. 
> 
> The From Dawn Till Dusk Series is going to be separated into several parts the first of which being, obviously, Dawn Shadows. After this one ends, the book titles will follow as thus: Morning Fire. Midday Fury. Evening Silence, Dusk Defiance.
> 
> Does anyone see what I did there? From dawn till dusk? Get it? Anyone? No? Fine, I'll stop now. 
> 
> Please keep in mind that this is my first fanfiction, and while I'd like to say I'm going to knock it out of the water, chances are, it's going to suck. Hard. Feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one. 
> 
> That's all for now, it was great talking with you all - If you made it all the way down here and are are still reading, your the best :D - I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chapter! Bye Bye!


	2. Chapter One

Lake Evendim, Middle Earth, 2941  
Seven Years Later

_Looking back, Asha had no idea how long she traveled before she came across the remains of the cottage. A ghost of a path had led to a vine-covered entrance. She had struggled through the thick tangle, and she still bore the scar from a thorn, hidden in the glossy leaves._

_"Come on, girl." Asha whispered to her anxious wolf pup. Mora whined and wriggled through after her, and even then Asha knew that she was not pleased by it. The cottage was small, but it had been dry. Mora snuffled in the corners. A shutter-less window, a simple square, graced the south wall. A rude chest had rested below it. Asha had lifted the lid, only to find that someone, a hunter or trapper, had left a blanket, a bowl, a jug, and a coiled, dry bowstring._

_She had sent thanks to the unknown stranger, and quickly wrapped the blanket around her thin shoulders._

_"Hey, girl." The wolf came to her. "What shall we do now, eh?" Mora had chosen not to reply, instead she merely liked her chin. The cottage was dim. Light, she had thought. Fire._

_Methodically, she felt about the hearth until she felt a loose stone. She pried it up. As she had hoped, a small leather pouch lay in the exposed hole. Inside was bit of dry cotton, and three jagged bits of flint._

_Not too far from the cottage grew a cluster of white trunk birches. Chips of bark, some as long as her arm, littered the ground. She gathered bark in her blanket. With her sword, she cut swaths of meadow grass. Fingers chilling, she struck flint against the sword blade. At last a spark had leaped into the cotton ball. She blew on it; it flamed. She thrust a spear of grass into the flame, and, when it lit, held it to the hearth._

_It caught. The fire sang in its bed. She dragged the chest across the hard dirt floor and positioned it athwart the doorway. A owl hooted in the darkness._

_Some creature of the twilight, hunter or prey, had rustled through the tall grass outside the hut. Mora's head had raised, and she had rose to her feet, her ears laying flat._

_"Mora, no! Stay." To Asha's relief, the wolf had obeyed the croaked command. "Lie down." They had curled together beside the fire. Warriors tussled in its glowing heart. Asha's stomach growled with hunger. In the morning she knew she needed to look for food._

_A chill breeze blew through the exposed doorway. It smelled of rain. Her hair was filthy; she needed soap to get it clean. She also needed warm clothes, candles, a pot to cook in, none of which she had, nor any way of getting them._

_~~~_

_The next weeks had been filled with travels from her new home to a village that was only a league away. The first time she left the village, she had carried a clean blanket in which reposed a pot, a skein of thread, three bone fishhooks, a needle, a jar of soap-sand, half a dozen candles, a shirt and a pair of trousers and tunic. She had sold her mother's sword, but she had bought a double re-curved bow instead, along with the other items she needed to survive. During her time in the towns, she spread her knowledge of herbs and treatments for what ails a person._

_That afternoon, Asha swept and cleaned the cottage. She mended the walls, plugging grass and moss into the chinks between the stones. When Asha pulled sweet-grass and reeds from the riverbed to make her bed, she had found the door hidden beneath a mat of brush, and fastened it back onto its pegs._

_Some short weeks later, a steady stream of fold made their way to Asha's door. Most had minor ailments, and Asha did what she could for them. She made teas for headaches, stomachaches, and flatulence. She made tisanes for fevers and anxious nerves. She made syrups for coughs, and poultices for bruises and sprains, and if people thought her velvet covered slaves collar strange, they did not mention it._

_She prowled the woods looking for herbs. The trees were thick with new leaves; miniature flames, trembling at the end of red-limb branches. She cleared space for a garden behind the cottage. She filled the cottage with cuttings._

_She was not lonely. She missed her adoptive mother, though, sweet Hobbit that she had been, and she missed Bilbo. But she was never alone long enough to be lonely._

_In Castella, where she went occasionally to trade her remedies for the goods she could not fashion and sell the small wooden dolls she had taken to create in her spare time, she liked to listed to the tales people told of the world. Some, like the story of the great evil that had swept the land, were ones she knew. Others, like the story of the terrible dragons of the north, were new to her._

_And so, slowly, she had made herself a home._

~~~

Asha was sitting near the river when she saw the Wizard pass over the ridge, startling her from her thoughts.

"Mora." She called. The black wolf, now fully grown and standing at well over five foot from paw to shoulder, crept from where she had been cowering. She looked ashamed. "It's not your fault." Asha said kindly, hosting herself up to the wolf's back. "I was frightened as well. Come, let us see which it is."

Walking slowly Mora climbed to the crest of the ridge. A man stood just over the crest of the ridge, his face turned toward the sun as she approached on wolf back. She put raised a hand and squinted up to the face beneath his hat, and was surprised to find, though it had been several long years since she had last seen him, Gandalf. His face was just a little more wrinkled than she had last seen him, but his hair and beard were just as neat, his eyes just as bright with mischief and knowing. It was a look that had always bothered her, making her feel as if she was about to have the world explode before her and it would be all his fault. "Gandalf!"

Mora, motionless and alert beneath Asha, stared at the Wizard suspiciously and growled a low warning. "Hush, Mora." Asha said hastily. The wolfs feathery tail drooped, and her ears went down. She had a loaf of poppy-seed bread in her home, fresh-baked, and several rose-bellied trout she had caught that morning, still in a reed net beneath the riverbank. She had intended to cook them for supper.

"Are you hungry? I have food. Bread and fish."

"Food sounds quite wonderful, my dear." Gandalf said with a wide smile, his eyes shinning brightly in the light of the setting sun.

She led him to the cottage, and he halted on the threshold, taking in the wreaths and strings of dried herbs that hung from every ceiling beam. The cottage smelled powerfully of their mingled aromas. He stepped into the tiny room.

"You are a herbalist? I knew not." He asked.

She was not sure how to answer. "I have some skill. I was never formally trained, but I help where I can." She finished, motioning the the small piles of jars that had collected in the corner of the cottage over the winter months.

Mora curled on the rug besides the hearth, watching Asha closely as she sat bread and pot of honey on a tray, and laid it on the narrow wooden plank that served her for a table. She filled a cut with water and set it before him. "Please, sit, Gandalf, and tell me why you are here.

He sat, and gestured to the second stood. "This is your home, you must sit as well."

Snorting, Asha drew up the second stood and seated herself opposite him. He slathered honey on a slice of bread and ate it in three bites.

His propinquity made the cottage seem smaller than it was. It was not an effect simply of his size: While she was as short as most Hobbits, and had known many other big men, she felt as though he were taking all the room of her cottage and expanding it upon himself. It was the sense of power, the weight of his presence, the brightness of his magic.

"You bake amazing bread, my dear." He said, taking another slice.

Smiling, Asha took a slice for herself and shrugged. "You learn too cook well when you have no one else to depend on, Gandalf." Chewing thoughtfully, she studied the Wizard before her. "Tell me, Gandalf, what are you doing here?"

"You said you were not an herbalist. But someone taught you."

Sighing, for she knew he was purposely changing the topic, she nodded. "My father taught me. He felt it best that I knew how to make pastes and tinctures. He taught me how to mix one element with another, and sometimes with wine, to make both more active. He taught me to label my work and how to recognize and treat simple ailments."

"Could you treat a sword wound? A simple one."

"Aye."

"How?"

"I would wash it in water that had been boiled and allowed to cool, and powder it with comfrey. If it were deep, I would recommend stitching it."

"And could you do that?"

"Yes." In the years spent as a slave to the Orcs, Asha had done it many times.

Gandalf smiled, lifting his cup, and studied her over its rim. "What happened to your father?"

The skin on her face and arms paled. "He died."

"How?"

It had been a shameful death - a criminal's death. "When the Orcs came and destroyed my village, they killed him. I do not know how exactly." It was a lie, but only a small one. She hadn't been meant to see his death, but, at the last moment, she had gazed over her mothers shoulder and watched as the sword was applied to his throat.

Her guest demolished the last of the bread. She brought the water skin to the table and refilled his cup. As she re-seated herself, her foot encountered something stiff. One of her dolls lay prostrate and forlorn beneath the table. She couldn't remember it's name; something grand: Rhena, Alisandra . . . Castira . . . She dusted it off and set it on the table before her.

Gandalf's wide mouth quirked. "Charming. Is this another of your skills?"

"It is." She held the little doll upright and made it bow. "Good day, Master Wizard." She belted, her voice high pitched and thin.

An expression she could not read crossed his face. He said meditatively. "You asked me why I am here, and I believe that I should tell you that I do not come for a cheerful visit, although it is more than cheerful to see you once again."

"Then why are you here Gandalf?" Asha asked, her head tilting to the side, the metal collar chafing against her skin, despite the protective cover Belladonna had made her all those years ago.

"My dear, what do you know of the Dwarves home Erebor?"

~~~

Four day after the unexpected visit from the Wizard, a heavy knock sounded on Asha Brystowe diSorvina's door.

Mora, sleeping on her rub, lifted her head. Her tail thumped. Asha was kneading bread dough. "A moment!" She scooped the dough into its bowl and covered it. Wiping her fingers on a cloth, she opened the door, expecting to see Devon, a neighboring friend who commonly came to visit.

Gandalf stood before the small doorway, a strange grouping of Dwarves standing behind him. Tail thrashing, Mora frisked to him and stuck her head under his hand. Asha only just kept herself from laughing at the Dwarves startled faces.

The Dwarves all but spilled into her cottage, attempting to escape from the rain that had been falling since the previous morning, and Asha yelped, bounding out of the way.

"Gandalf." Asha sighed, shaking her head. "I thought you said that you wouldn't arrive for a week!"

Behind them, Asha could see a large black gelding bent its head to snatch at the new grass, as well as eight ponies.

Gandalf chuckled. "The rain hurried us along, my dear."

"I'll say." The exasperated and annoyed grumbling was emitting from the Dwarves was enough to cause Asha to laugh softly before moving forward in an attempt to help them to their feet.

"Oi, Get yer elbow out of mi back!"

"Bombur, get off! I can't breath!"

"Whose hand is on my ass?! I'll cut yer hand off!"

"What did ye say?"

Asha snorted as she finally threw her hands into the air, and stood back to watch the Dwarves as they disentangled from each other and slowly rose from the floor, making the way for Gandalf, who patted Mora and the head happily. In the same movement, Gandalf held out a wooden case. "This is for you."

She opened it. Nestled within the smooth wood lay a small silver ring, shaped strangely like a horse shoe, with two small chunks of raw amethyst sitting atop the rings ends. She carefully lifted it from it's nest and gazed at it in wonder for a moment before closing the wooden cover. Holding it out, she shook her head. "Gandalf, I can't not take this."

"It is mine, therefore I may give it away as I wish. Besides, the Amethyst is a powerful stone of protection. It will guard you, and sooth your fears and anxiety. Do you want it?"

He was her friend; she could not lie to him. She nodded. He smiled. "Good, then it is yours."

Sighing, Asha slipped the ring on her thumb, the only finger that the ring would fit, and turned to the Dwarves, who were looking at the cottage with approval. "Would you care to tell me your names. Gandalf seems rather set on my accompanying you."

As it turned out, the eight Dwarves who stood before her were short of name, and fierce of voice. The youngest, Ori, was a sweet lad who quickly offered to assist in the making of bread while the others introduced themselves. There was Dori and Nori, brother's of Ori, Oin and Gloin, also brothers, and then Bofur and Bombur, cousins to Bifur, who, Asha had realized with a start, had a Orcish axe buried deep into his forehead.

They spent the afternoon talking, or rather, Asha questioned the Dwarves and they answered while Asha listened quietly. They spoke of the Quest, and Asha was relieved to find that they did not lie, as she would have known due to Gandalf's quick explanation only four days past.

Many of the dwarves commented on her appearance, strange as it was. She didn't pass four and a half feet, despite the incredibly thick soles of her worn, leather boots, but she seemed taller in the same way that a dance does, with their long necks and willowy limbs. She wasn't a dancer, but she had the look, in figure if not in fashion. They knew of no dancers who had hair as bright as a snow drift, a handful of piercings scattering her face or a constellations of tattoos on their limbs, and Asha had all three.

The Dwarves were clearly weary of Mora, and Asha could not find it in herself to blame her. She was a large wolf and, to the untrained eye, seemed as wild as the day she was born. It wasn't until she all but fell into the youngest's lap, begging to be petting, that they seemed to realize that the wolf meant them no harm.

Asha piled her table high with food that night, knowing that the Dwarves could eat just as much as a Hobbit given half the chance. And so, by the time they all settled down to eat, the table was over flowing with food: Roasted chicken, and turkey and quail. Pork chops and lamb chops, roast beef, sausages, bacon and eggs. Boiled potatoes, roasted potatoes, and mashed potatoes. Peas, carrots, corn and green beans. Breads of every kind, and sweet rolls filled with sweet apples and fiery cinnamon.

Living as a slave, Asha had never exactly starved, but she had never had enough food before her that she could turn any of it away. Smiling so widely her teeth showed, Asha nodded to the Dwarves and joined them as they piled their plates high with anything they could reach, and quickly dug in with gusto.

The red headed Dwarf sitting to her right - Nori, she reminded herself - watched her from the corner of his eyes, nearly chocking on a thick bite of bread when he saw her plate. Nudging her with his shoulder, he chuckled, leaning down close. "You know you're not going to be able to eat all that, right?" He asked teasingly, surprised to find that he enjoyed the tiny woman's company.

Asha snorted, shrugging her shoulders. "Would you like to take a bet on that?"

Gandalf interrupted then, his voice light. "I wouldn't take her up on that offer, if I were you, Master Dwarf. I've seen this woman eat her weight in food, only to go after more a mere hour later."

Asha could tell that the Dwarves were skeptical of his words, but as the meal continued and the small cottage echoed with laughter and talk, the clatter of knives and forks ringing in the air, they watched in shock as she moved on to have a second, then third plate, eating nearly as much Bombur. Bofur, his eyes wide, asked were she put it all, as he couldn't understand since she was such 'a small, little thing without any meat on her bones.'

It wasn't until the plates where being washed and put away that any of the Dwarves though to question her strange choker necklace.

"Miss. Asha? Why do you wear such a strange necklace?" Ori asked, his gaze on the velvet cloth.

Shifting in her seat, clearly uncomfortable, Asha searched for the words that would explain her situation to the young Dwarf. After words failed her, she merely shook her head. "I can not remove it, Ori. I imagine that it will follow me for the rest of my life, until the day I return to the earth."

The Dwarves all seemed confused by her response, and Asha sighed. Moving slowly, she drew the velvet away, carefully untying the small bow that had held the fabric tight, and reveled the dull, iron collar that circled her neck. The Dwarves could only stare. "When I was very young I was stolen from my home, Ori. I was sold as a slave, and this collar was placed around my neck to that I would never forget what I was. Years ago, a fire broke out where I was being kept and I was able to escape, but, unfortunately, I was never able to find anyone skilled enough to remove the slave's collar from my person. I've come to accept that I'll never be away from it. Not while I'm alive, at least."

Ori bowed his head to the lady before him, his heart sore for the poor lass. Gandalf had warned the Dwarves, of course, that the Lady Asha had lived a rough life, even more so than the Dwarves perhaps, but he never would have expected anything such as a slave. He could tell that his brothers were disturbed by the information as well, and they watched, in shock, as Asha smiled at them all.

"Don't look so. I escaped that life, and made a better one for myself." She said brightly, turning a small roll of bread in her hands. "I've grown accustomed to the weight of the collar, and understand that I'll never be rid of it. It' doesn't bother me, truly."

Bifur, who Asha had gathered did not speak the common tongue, looked up suddenly, his expression shadowed. He spoke quickly, but Asha did not understand his words. Bofur, understanding her confusion, translated.

"'E wants ta know if ya want tha' removed." His voice, normally light and carefree, was serious.

Asha shook her head. "It wont come off. It was placed on my neck when I was much smaller, and it was much to large. Now it is to small to remove."

Bifur scoffed and stood, quickly moving to Asha's side, his eyes examining the metal carefully. He located a seam in the metal, and tapped against it, causing Asha to flinch, her eyes wide as she watched the Dwarf. Bofur was required to translate once again, as Bifur began to speak quickly. "'E says tha seam is weak. 'E can remove it, if ya want, tha is."

Asha attempted to lick her parched lips. Her mouth suddenly felt as though it had been stuffed with wool, and she longed for a cool drink. "You . . . you can remove it? You're sure?"

Bifur nodded, his eyes kind.

"Do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hia to all you beautiful bastards; I hope you having a fabulous day, and welcome back to Dawn Shadows! 
> 
> First off I would like to thank idrilcelebrindal, who left the first Kudo for my work, and to Imreth who left the first comment - I can't begin to tell you how pleased I was to see that! 
> 
> I hope you're enjoying it so far, because I know I've enjoyed writing it! 
> 
> So, this chappy had a bit more back story, although not too much. I realized that it wouldn't make sense if I told you nothing about her past after she left the Shire, so I decided to go with that. 
> 
> This is the third or fourth revision of this chapter, seeings how I couldn't decide how I really wanted it to go, but I'm pretty satisfied with what I managed to put out. 
> 
> I've not quite decided how I'm going to make Gandalf and Asha friends, so I'm saving that for a later date, maybe I'll even get some help on the matter from the readers? *Wink Wink* 
> 
> The next chapter will find us traveling on the road, heading back to the Shire. Will Asha be without her slave collar? And if so, how will that affect her want to travel with the Company. After all, she is a Changling, and with the collar gone, won't she want nothing more than to spend time as a wolf? 
> 
> As always feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chapter! Bye Bye!


	3. Chapter Two

Asha woke all in a rush. For a moment, she lay still, blinking, trying to determine what had awoken her. The events of the previous night rushed back to her as she realized it wasn't a sound that had awoken her, but a sensation - or, the lack of one. The heaviness of the collar she had grown used to over her lifetime was gone and, instead, her neck felt light and airy.

_Asha attempted to lick her parched lips. Her mouth suddenly felt as though it had been stuffed with wool, and she longed for a cool drink. "You . . . you can remove it? You're sure?"_

_Bifur nodded, his eyes kind._

_"Do it."_

She was not a wolf, but she wasn't Asha yet, either.

She was a leaking womb bulging with the promise of conscious thoughts: the frozen woods far beyond her home, the land of her ancestors, the breathy sighs of the Dwarves that surrounded her, the sound of a fingers on metal strings. The future and the past, both the same, snow and then summer and then snow again.

The memories of her family, her father, always taking care of the new wolf pups. Though there'd only been two births since her own: little Angus and sweet Snieg. The fact was, Asha wasn't used to younger newcomers in the pack - the pack usually grew by other, older Wolf-Changlings finding the pack. Her friend, Piane. And Ulrik. Ulrik, her insane Uncle who loved nothing more than to swear at those that past him, despite his mood. Asha could remember his laugh, like a flock of crows taking off, and the way he held her when she had suffered from night terrors as a child.

In her memories, she seemed small, ribby, innocent.

Rolling to her side, Asha lay on her small, sweet grass bed, watching the Dwarves sleep, long even breaths, moving the flyaway hairs by their faces. In slumber, they seemed utterly certain of their safety, utterly unconcerned by her presence so near their own. It felt like a subtle victory, although she couldn't help but wonder how they would feel if they knew what she truly was.

She slipped from the bed while the Dwarves slept; they didn't even stir as she moved through the cottage. Asha hesitated at the door, looking at the frost-tipped blades of grass. Even through she's slipped her soft, leather boots onto her feet, the early morning air still bit at the skin of her bare wrists. She could almost feel the nausea of the change rolling over in her stomach. It had been so many since the change had over come her, that she almost didn't recognize it for what it was. Her wolf was stirring, straining to break free, begging to run, to hunt, to live.

'Asha.' She told herself, willing her body to believe. 'You're Asha.' She needed to be warmer; and so she retreated further into the cottage to find a cloak. Buried beneath a tall pile of dried herbs and curried leather, she found a thick cloak hidden away. The cloak was red, with a warm, woolen lining that held heat close to her body with little effort.

She traveled into the woods. The trees were pressed tightly together, the underbrush crammed between the trunks as if holding them upright. Brambles caught on her trousers. Asha's expression turned wistful, and soon the thorns thinned out and the trees grew taller and straighter, their branches not beginning until they were well over here head. The white, peeled bark of the birches looked buttery in the long, slanting morning light, and their leaves were a delicate gold.

These were her woods. The golden woods she'd always imagined running too if, when, she was able to join with her wolf once again. A chill wind lifted her hair and sent a shower of golden and emerald leaves glimmering down around her. She spread out her arms, letting them fall into her hands. She looked like a bright angel in an eternal autumn wood. "One happy day for every falling leaf you catch." Her voice was low.

Gandalf came forward then, a slight smile on his face. "The Dwarves woke in a panic when they realized that their little host had vanished during the night."

Asha watched the edges of the leaves slowly unfold, fluttering in the breeze. "They do not know what I am."

"They do not, and you should not inform them of such unless necessary. Dwarves are very weary of what they do not understand." Gandalf agreed. "Have you come to a decision?"

Asha dropped her gaze to the ground and scuffed her boots in the leaves - countless possibilities for happy days - on the ground. "I think that I have."

~~~

The ride from Lake Evendim to the Shire took six days.

Under the bright early summer sky, the wide brown road was nearly deserted. To the west ran several rivers; eastward ran a small range of mountains: between the two the land was flat, and green. Barley and wheat grew tall in fields. White faced sheep, new shorn, grazed in their pastures, attended by white faced faced dogs.

They rode sedately, but not slowly. Men in a hurry only called attention to themselves. They slept in the open, avoiding inns and travelers' shelters, where someone might notice them, or their ponies. The fact that Asha road astride her large, seemingly tamed dire-wolf led the Dwarves to avoid others, and Asha could do nothing but agree with them.

~~~

The days past quickly and Asha, being curious and overly inquisitive, learned much about the Dwarves she traveled with.

Nori, it seemed, was witted and wily, always doing something that was dodgy and quite possibly illegal. He was both an expert thief, and immensely loyal. Despite rarely seeing eye to eye with his brothers, he was always protective of them; Dori even more so, constantly hounding after Ori, making sure that he hadn't caught a chill, or gotten himself killed in one way or another during their travels along the road. He was Eternally pessimistic, with a natural tendency to expect the worst, but Asha saw that he was more than prepared to risk life and limb in order to protect those he held close. Ori, the youngest of the two brothers, was a talented artist, and was often found drawing and writing in his journal. He was both polite and well-bred.

Oin was well read, with an inquiring mind, and, it seemed, he was a healer. He was hard of hearing, and often would turn his horn to Asha as she descried some herbal salve or another to the Dwarf. Of all the members she traveled with, it was Oin's brother Gloin that seemed to be the most outspoken and opinionated, not afraid to challenge authority, and quick to anger. He was, Asha learned during a damn, rainy night, married to a fine Dwarven lass who sported a particularly fine beard, and the father of a fiery son.

Bifur, as she had noticed during their first meeting, had the rusting remains of an Orc axe embedded in his forehead, which rendered him inarticulate and occasionally angry, his temper flaring quickly and, more often than not, violently. He could communicate only with grunts and hand gestures, but Asha found his company pleasant, and she often sought him out when the stopped to camp for the night. His cousin, Bofur, was both endearing and likable, although he had the disastrous tendency to state the obvious and blurt out things without thinking. He loved music and had a fine singing voice, and he had a great love of food, something his brother, Bombur, could provide easily, being the chief cook among the group. Bombur's immense size and voracious appetite was something to be feared, but he brought much laughter to the traveling group, and he never failed to cook an extra portion for Mora.

The Dwarves were, without a doubt, growing to become Asha's closest friends.

~~~

The morning of the sixth day, they rode into the shire.

"This is rich country." Bofur said, his gaze wide as he looked all about. A cow accompanied by her calf, nosed steadily at the grass. Pigeons fluttered round a dovecote.

They dismounted and Gandalf directed the Dwarves to a quieter section of the Shire, where few rarely ventured, and stalked away, speaking of Hobbits and burglars. "Come, little one, we will find your brother, I believe, sitting just outside his home on a day as fine as this one."

Nodding, Asha ran beside the Wizard, pausing only to glance over her shoulder, her eyes trained on Mora, who watched her closely. "Stay girl, the Dwarves will take care of you."

"More like I will take care of them, no?" Mora sassed, speaking for the first time in many moons.

Laughing, Asha shook her head and sprinted after the Wizard, who had managed to wander quite some distance up the path. Nearly an hour past before they stepped into recognizable territory, and Asha knew they were walking at just the outskirts of Hobbiton. She blended in well due to her height, all four foot-one inches of her, but her hair and eyes were bound to draw attention, especially if they happened upon anyone who knew her during her brief stay with the Baggins. Her hair hung loose and wild around her face, falling into her strangely colored eyes.

Combined with the slight point of her ears, she was an odd combination. The fact that she was neither well built or muscular like Hobbits or Dwarves did little to lend to her height - instead she as thin and slender, small enough that she looked as if a strong wind would fell her.

So she followed Gandalf, keeping close to his heels, trying to remain hidden in his shadow, avoid eye contact when she could, and nodding politely when she could not. They soon found themselves standing before a familiar Hobbit smial. Bilbo, she saw with a smile, was sitting on the small bench just outside his doorway, pipe in hand and a content smile upon his face He was, Asha took note with a frown, nearly an inch taller than herself, and dressed in a rich burgundy waistcoat, dark brown trousers, and a white shirt; the copious amounts of hair on his feet and legs were a dark brown color, richer than the sun-kissed mop atop his head, and looked to be neatly groomed.

Gandalf smirked as he watched the Hobbit for a moment before enchanting a small section of the smoke rising from his pipe, causing it to become a small, fluttering moth that promptly fluttered into the surprised Hobbit's nose.

Looking up in shock, Bilbo smiled weakly at the two travelers standing before him, the smaller of the two striking a strange sense of recognition through his heart. "Good morning."

Gandalf looked fierce as he stared down at the Hobbit. "What do you mean? Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or, perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning. Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?"

Bilbo seemed shocked by Gandalf's line of thinking, and he slowly shook his head. "All - all of them at once, I suppose."

Gandalf looked slightly disapprovingly at the Hobbit and the Hobbit stared back, very confused and bewildered.

"Can I help you?"

"That remains to be seen. I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure." The wizard smiled slightly as he spoke, causing Asha to smirk. She knew that Gandalf was being difficult for no other reason than to be difficult.

The Hobbit looked quite alarmed. "An - an Adventure? No, now, I don't imagine any one west of - of Bree who would have much interest in adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things." He paused for moment to puff on his pipe in agitation. "Make you late for dinner. Hmm."

Bilbo stood quickly, clearly flustered, and checked his mailbox, grabbing the mail and sorting through it, clucking to himself. He looked quite uncomfortable because Gandalf stood where he was, making no move to walk away. Puffing his pipe in vexation, he began to climb the short set of stairs that led to his doorway.

"Good Morning."

Gandalf seemed to swell with annoyance. "To think that I should have lived to be good-morninged by Belladonna Took's son, as if I were selling buttons at the door."

The Hobbit paused, eyes wide as he stared at the wizard before him. "Beg your pardon?"

Gandalf frowned. "You've changed, and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins."

Bilbo's eyes seemed to grow even wider at Gandalf's words. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Gandalf sighed. "Well, you know my name, although you don't remember I belong to it. I'm Gandalf! And Gandalf means . . . Me."

Bilbo's face went slack with sudden realization. "Gandalf? Not Gandalf, the wondering Wizard, who made suck excellent fireworks! Old Took used to have them on Midsummer's Ever. Ha, ha! Well, I had no idea you were still in the business."

Gandalf huffed. "And where else would I be?"

Bilbo seemed a loss for words as he hummed for a moment, confusedly puffing on his pipe.

"Well, I'm please that you remember something about me, even if it's only my fireworks. Well, that's decided. It will be very good for you, and most amusing for me. I shall inform the others."

Bilbo seemed to be affronted. "Inform the who? What? No, no no! Wait. We do not want any adventures here, thank you. Not today, not - mmmmm. I suggest you try over the Hill or across the Water." Turning on his heel, Bilbo began to mark smartly towards his door. "Good Morning."

"Now, Bilbo, are you so opposed to an adventure that you would not at least allow this young lady, with no where to stay, to wait at your home until the other travelers arrive?"

Bilbo was, as it were, a very proper and respectable Hobbit and, as such, could not turn away a young woman in need, no matter how unwilling he happened to be. "Of course not! I do not mind giving a traveler a place to rest, so long as she is not opposed, of course."

He glanced at her, she shook her head as Gandalf answered for her. "No, of course not."

"Well then, Miss . . . I - I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name."

"Do you truly not recognize me, brother?" Asha said softly, her eyes shadowed. "I know that it's been some time, but to think that you wouldn't know me at all . . ."

Bilbo could not breath. Her hair, her height, her voice, it was all familiar to him. Asha, little Asha with her slaves collar, and her ability to make the most beautiful dolls. Asha, who had disappeared only days after his mother's death. Sweet, strong, brave Asha.

At Gandalf's meaning-full look, Bilbo quickly ushered her inside of his home, his breath short and mind spinning dizzily as he tried to understand her sudden re-appearance. She looked so very much the same, yet not.

There was much for them to discuss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hia to all you beautiful bastards, I hope you having a fabulous day. 
> 
> Let's just go ahead and jump right in this, hmm? 
> 
> So, a lot happened in this chapter, despite it being so much shorter than I had expected. Asha's had her slave's collar taken away, and her wolf is waking up. She's learned much about her companions, and has grown very fond of them all. They've traveled quite a distance, and are now at the Shire! Bilbo's been introduced, and he's meet back with his adoptive sister! What will come of their meeting? Will he be happy? Angry? I've not decided yet! 
> 
> The stories plot will be picking up shortly and in the next chapter we just might meet the rest of the Dwarves, and what will Kara think of them? Or, more importantly, what will they think of her? Especially a specific dark haired Dwarf with very little beard and a heart of gold? 
> 
> Also, I'm sick, so I'm tossing out chapters left and right. Don't get used to this, I promise that it's not going to last, but I hope that you enjoy it while it does. 
> 
> Feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> As always, I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chapter! Bye Bye!


	4. Chapter Three

Bilbo sighed. "Might I offer you a cup of tea?"

"Tea sounds lovely." Asha said, stepping through the entryway, her eyes shifting through the smial. Bag End was, in a single world, beautiful. Everything was made of polished, weathered wood that was well cared for and reminded Asha of the woodwork found in the religious buildings she had visited over the years. The floors were covered in richly colored rugs that made the little Hobbit hole all the more homey. The halls were filled with furnishing that had clearly been cherished over the years. "Thank you, Bilbo."

"No problem, no problem." He lead her down a short hall to the dining room, where he motioned for her to sit herself before walking through a small doorway. He returned moments later, laden with food, and a large kettle filled with what smelled to be peppermint tea. They both began to eat.

"Asha . . ." Bilbo began after several minute of quite. "Where . . ? Where did you go? Where have you been? Why did you leave?"

Asha sighed, having expected the questions to begin shortly. "What would you like to know first? Why I left?" Watching the small Hobbit nod, Asha struggled to find the words. "Bilbo after Belladonna passed away . . . I couldn't stay here. I wanted to. I even thought about beginning my own business of selling dolls. The Littlest Dolls Shop, I was going to call it." Holding her hand up to stop the words she could see building in the Hobbit, Asha smiled kindly. "Bilbo, I've always lost everyone I've been near. My family, killed before my very eyes. My friends, either starved or beat to death. You're mother, the first person to show me kindness since my childhood. I've always lost everyone and . . . And I was afraid. I was afraid that I would loose you as well. I was afraid that if I didn't leave then I would loose everyone close to me, and I would be left alone, without a choice." Asha shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable with talking of her feelings. "I had to leave. If I hadn't, I wouldn't be alive today. Grief and a life of ease to not mix, Bilbo. There is to much time to remember things you would much rather not remember."

Bilbo appeared slightly disturbed by her admission, but did not probe the matter further, something in which Asha was grateful for.

"You're more than welcome to stay here, Asha, dear." Bilbo said much later, once they had both finished their meal and moved to the main room. "How long do you intend to be in the Shire?"

Asha unconsciously moved her finger tips to the area that had once been covered by a slave's collar, the skin cool and sensitive as she rubbed her neck, her face thoughtful, and Bilbo glanced at the pale expansion of her neck.

His adoptive sister had grown undeniably odd during her years away - she carried a bow, which he was willing to bet was for protection rather than hunting, and several daggers and other such weapons. She modeled piercings by the handful, and Bilbo was almost certain that he could spot several tattoos on her body.

Suppressing a shiver, Bilbo watched Asha's face carefully. "I'm not sure how long I'll be." She admitted, unsure of the Wizards plans.

Bilbo nodded, seeming pleased with her answer and offered her a third cup of tea.

The day progressed slowly, and Asha, with little else to do, spent the time speaking with her adoptive brother, telling him of her life after she had left the Shire. She was careful to leave out anything that would upset the Hobbit, and instead spoke of her work as a herbalist and a doll maker. The travels she had during her sales, and the wide variate of people she had meet during them. When asked where her collar had gone to, Asha and winced, and merely stated that it had finally been removed after so many years. They were both so engrossed in their stories that neither noted when night fell, till it was very late indeed.

When the first knock sounded at the door, Asha quirked an eyebrow at the Hobbit next to her and watched as Bilbo rose from his chair, a low grumble about unexpected visitors and crazy wizards trailing in his wake.

Asha quickly followed Bilbo down the hall to the door, after abandoning the meal that sat before her, and stood waiting in the round doorway just to the left of the entryway, so she could see all that was about to play out.

When Bilbo opened the door, Asha was just as shocked as he to see a ragged, nearly bald looking Dwarf standing in his doorway, his scalp and arms covered in tattoos, although she was shocked for an entirely different reason than the Hobbit.

"Dwalin, at your service." When Dwalin walked into the Hobbit's home he took note of the expert wood and stone work, of the fine things he both had no use or appreciation for, and he took note of the Hobbit himself. He was a small, little thing, looking up at him with big, blue eyes, the eyes of a creature that had not known the hardships or the horrors of the world as he had known them and was thus as soft as a down pillow, especially around the middle from the look of him. Dwalin was not an unkind Dwarf, rather the opposite if you earned his respect and friendship, but life had taught him to be wary, and thus he was suspicious.

The Hobbit seemed beside himself for a moment before he stood straighter. Nodding his head slightly, he quickly tied his robe. "Bilbo . . . Baggins. At yours."

The Dwarf nodded, then promptly walked deeper into the house, eyes sweeping through the room carefully.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" Bilbo asked, nonplussed.

Dwalin snorted. "No. Which way, laddie? Is it down here."

Bilbo seemed to be having a very hard time handling his situation. "Is - is what down where?"

Dwalin dumped his things onto the ground before thrusting the rest into Bilbo's limp arms. "Supper. He said there'd be food, and lots of it."

Bilbo dumped the items into the floor with the rest of the Dwarf's belongings and began to stutter. "He said? Who said?"

The Dwarf began to answer, yet paused when he caught sight of a small, young, human woman. The lass the other's spoke of, no doubt. "Who's she, then?"

"My apologies. Asha, I had forgotten you were there for a moment. Master Dwalin, this is Miss Asha, a house guest of mine for the moment, and my adoptive sister. Miss Asha, this is Master Dwalin."

Dwalin bowed his head to the lady, though he was not sure what he made of her. She was nearly four or so inches shorter than himself, and as large around as one of his legs. Her lack of height and thin frame was unusual for a human, especially a woman, in his experience, but she gave him a shy yet friendly smile with only a kind curiosity in her eyes, rather than the out right disdain and arrogance that he was familiar with in much of her kind, as she returned his bow and said in a soft, melodic voice: "Hello, Master Dwalin. It's nice to meet you but, please, the both of you, just call me Asha. I am no Miss."

Dwalin raised his eyebrows at her words, while the Hobbit only nodded his head. She raised an eyebrow back at him, her smile turning to a grin as she shoved her bright hair behind an ear, revealing a slightly pointed ear. He couldn't help but to smile back, finding that he was already beginning to like the small woman before him, just as the others had said he would.. He did not know why he seemed to be taking an instant shine to the girl, when he seldom did anyone, but his gut told him that she was no threat to him or his. "As you say, Asha."

After bowing her head to him in appreciation of his respect of her request, she turned and flitted away toward what he assumed was the kitchen where Dwalin spotted two cooked trout and biscuits, and promptly took a seat at the table.

When the Hobbit nodded feebly and mumbled, "Help yourself." Dwalin began to eat with relish, oblivious to the bemused look of the woman and the disgusted look of the Hobbit.

Little time had past when Dwalin finished all that was spread out on the table and moved on to scavenge things from various jars, when his brother arrived. Balin, as Asha learned his name to be, was treated to much of the same bewildered introduction by the Hobbit and he seemed to be just as confused by the presence of the woman as his brother had been, but the confused expression left his face when he spotted his brother. Dwalin sauntered up to Balin with a grin on his face and slapped both of his hands on his shoulders as he said in his gruff, rough voice. "By my beard, you look wider and shorter than we last met."

"Wider, not shorter, but sharp enough for both of us, hmmm?" Balin smiled up at his little brother and they promptly smacked their foreheads together as Bilbo stomped off to put on a change of proper clothes while Asha took a seat by the door, occasionally sneaking looks at the two brothers.

The looks did not go unnoticed by the two and they prompted Dwalin to ask, quietly. "What do ya' make o' tha' lass? She doesna' seem ta be a threat, and does na' treat us, or the Hobbit for tha' matter, as other humans are wan' ta do. The others seemed rather smitten with 'er."

Balin quickly nodded his head and replied. "I agree. Her presence here is rather suspicious, but she seems only curious of us. I have the distinct feeling that she means us no harm, although, I think it wise that we keep an eye on her until we know a bit more."

During their conversation they had wandered into the pantry, going through the food and getting some ale. Balin picked up a wedge of cheese and looked at it curiously, before grimacing. "This cheese had gone bleu, why does he still have it in here?"

Asha moved to her feet, brushing away the dust that clung to her skirt, and snagged several sweet rolls from Dwalin's hands, unsure if she would be eating else that night.

She smiled and chuckled herself, remembering the hardy appetite of a Dwarf, and tilted her head at the sound of Bilbo saying,"I'm sorry."

Apparently the they had all missed what the Hobbit had been saying, and Asha nearly choked with laughter as Balin simply replied,"Apology accepted." and went back to the food.

Asha just rolled her eyes in commiseration with Bilbo and turned toward the Dwarves, hoping to introduce herself, when another knock sounded at the door.

Asha rushed to follow Bilbo as he hurried to the door, but she slipped and fell as she rounded the corner, her stockings making her feet slick against the wood flooring, and she thumped her hip painfully into the wooden flooring. By the time she was on her feet a young blond Dwarf who's name she hadn't been able to catch was already laughing at his brother's blatant mispronunciation of their host's name as he handed said bewildered and annoyed Hobbit all of his newly sharpened knives while the darker haired one scrapped mud off his boots on Belladonna's glory box. The blond turned when he heard his brother say fondly. "Mister Dwalin."

The elder Dwarf moved forward and clapped his brother on the shoulder while Balin gave him a small smile a little ways further down the hallway. "Kili. Fili. It is good to see you once again."

"Will everyone fit"" A soft voice asked, and it was then that he noticed a small woman leaning against a doorway, rubbing her hip gingerly as she spoke quietly to Balin. Balin nodded sagely, then bid both the young Dwarves to help move all the cabinetry out of the Hobbit's dinning room, as it was a little too crowded at the moment to fit all of their party.

"Here, let me help you." Asha said after a moment of watching the two brothers curse at the wooden box they were in charge of moving. Fili and Kili both looked shocked by her offer but soon found that that she was more than capable of helping them move the cabinets with little effort.

Kili was unsure of what he thought of the woman. He studied her as she straightened after having hunched over to move the cabinets. She seemed friendly enough by her demeanor and was dressed unlike most travelers he had come across: A pale white dress that only just reached her knees, several layers of cloth building up to a brilliantly red over skirt. The bodice was made of the same pale white material as the underskirt, and seemed to botton down to her waist, although he couldn't be sure due to the thick leather of the under-bust corset she wore.The dress was, he saw as she turned, longer in the back than the front, and he realized that it had been designed for easy movement. A thick grey foxes tail hung from her waist. Her legs were covered to the mid-thigh by opaque black stockings. The clothes, while strange for a traveler, seemed much newer than he was used to.

There was also the fact that she was short, nearly five inches shorter than himself, with pale ivory skin that was flushed slightly by her exertions. He spotted several tattoos inked onto her skin as she flitted about the room, although the only ones easily visible where the ones on the back of her hands: a single image on each - one a stylized sun with several rows of beaded chains hanging from it, the other a crescent moon in the same style, with the same beaded chains hanging down in several rows. He couldn't help but wonder if there were more, hiding beneath her clothes.

Her eyes were large: dark and bright all at once, a strange mix of the deepest blue and the brightest silver, with long, dark, sweeping lashes that brushed against her high-boned cheeks when she blinked. Her hair was as white as a snow drift, and pulled back from her face in a messy, lop-sided bun; the style drew attention to her ears, which were pointed, if only slightly. He noticed that each ear held no less than six piercings each. Her bottom lip, which was full and the color of the lightest pink tourmaline held two piercings, one on either side of her mouth, a beautiful silver ring threaded through. The small sliver of flesh between her nostrils was pierced as well, the ring almost lending to the image of a bull with it's own nose pierced, but the smooth, lace like design of the ring held little room for anything not feminine.

"My name is Asha, by the by." The girl said in a soft voice, a wide smile spread across her lips as she noticed the dark haired Dwarf staring at her curiously. She looked at he and his brother with a crooked grin and slightly amused look, seemingly waiting for something. It was then that he realized that she was waiting for their names.

"Hello, Asha. I am Kili -"

"And I am Fili,-"

"-son of Dis, at your service." They bowed simultaneously, which made her giggle. Both brothers were pleased by this response to their introduction, as it meant that this woman found them pleasant rather than annoying and childish like most women accused them of being.

"Hello, Fili and Kili, sons of Dis. I'm surely glad to meet you." She gave them a little curtsy, ignoring the pain in her hip as it rotated, but the bothers could not miss her wince. Ignoring her own pain, she quickly smoothed out her skirt, a blush rising to her cheeks as she turned and flounced away.

Their introductions were left at that, as Balin called them to help move more of the furniture, leaving Kili to looked over his shoulder at Asha, who stood near the little Hobbit, a soft smile on her lips as she spoke softly, her gaze moving to rest on the Dwarves that moved through the room. A strange warmth spread through his chest, and he quickly shook his head, hurrying to help his kin arrange the dining room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hia to all you beautiful bastards; I can't even tell you how pleased I am to see you back, and if you're new here, then welcome! Let's go ahead and jump right in, shall we? 
> 
> So, Asha's been introduced to the dwarves that she did not travel with from her home, except Throin of course, and they seem to be taking her appearance in stride! And, finally, we got a good description of of Asha really looks like. I might have gone a little overboard, but I really wanted to get across what she really looked like. There's going to be more concerning her tattoo's so don't you forget that. If you have a tattoo idea for her, drop me a link in a comment below and I'll make sure to give it a look. 
> 
> Now, as for the section that was more from Kili's POV rather than Kara's, sorry. I couldn't think of a better way to do it, and I know that it was a little choppy. Hopefully I got Kili's personality down though, so it's won't be a complete disaster. 
> 
> Next chapter will include the rest of the gang arriving, and one big dinner /food fight/pissing Bilbo off party! And maybe the appearance of the rarely mentioned Throin? No promises though. It might be a chapter or two before we hear from him yet. 
> 
> Feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one. 
> 
> As always I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chapter! Bye Bye!


	5. Chapter Four

Asha was just rounding the doorway of the dining room when she heard a third knock sound at the door. There was a series of loud thuds and bitter cries from the foyer, and Asha leaned around past the door frame to see an avalanche of Dwarves laying prone of the floor of Bilbo's entryway. The Hobbit, meanwhile was turning red from frustration and anger as he noticed Gandalf standing behind the Dwarves, all but bent double to peer through the doorway.

Asha laughed, covering her mouth to muffle the sound and both Kili and Fili quickly moved to her side to see what had caught her attention. They joined her laughter, their voice low and full of gravel.

The small Hobbit home erupted in chaos as the Dwarves moved to their feet, each weaving around each other, streaming in and out of the pantry much like a line of ants, their voices raising as they spoke to each other. Asha, wincing at the noise, retreated to Gandalf's side, watching the Dwarves with wide eyes. She spied Bombur taking a bite of a biscuit before putting it back on the plate, as he whipped another plate he had just taken from a stack with his mitten, and this was after he had brought food into the dining room, one plate in each hand and one precariously balanced on his head. Bofur and Bifur were placing food on the table; Bifur speaking the entire time in the rough language of the Dwarves, making hand motions in Iglishmek as his cousins nodded. Ori spoke softly with Oin and Balin retreated into the kitchen, the smell of peppermint tea rising through the air.

Bilbo, for his part, was struggling to reclaim some vestige of control, his voice sounding ineffectively beneath the lower rumble of the Dwarves, who seemed to be discussing the merits of the available food.

Asha startled as she found herself caught in the path of the Dwarves, being tumbled this way and that as she fought to find a silent corner to hide herself. Dwalin grunted as she all but bounced from his chest, his lips set in a slight smirk. "Be best if ya got ya self ta the dining room, lass."

Nodding, Asha clambered to her feet and dashed into the dining room, which was no less crowded than the hallways. She sat herself at the furthest corner of the table, which moaned under the weight of the food being placed upon it.

The Dwarves were slowly finding their seats, and Asha watched as Dori came forward, a bright smile on his face. "Excuse me, Mr. Gandalf said that you may like a nice cup of tea."

"Please." Asha said with a smile, taking the large tankered from the Dwarf's hands, the warmth of the tea seeping into her skin. Taking a long sip, she smiled sweetly to the Dwarf, and watched as he wondered away, taking a seat at the opposite side of the table.

Bilbo continued to sputter while Gandalf puffed on his pipe in the seat he had claimed as his own.

Fili hopped onto the table and walked the length, handing out ale as he went, whereas Kili meandered through the kitchen to get to his seat, the two brothers sitting on either side of her. Asha smiled as she began to eat the food placed before her and drink her pleasantly sweet tea.

"Would you like ale, lass?" Kili asked, offering a tankered.

"No, I don't drink ale." Asha admitted, wrinkling her nose at the foul liquid. "I never did like the taste."

What Kili may have said in response was drowned out by a roar of laughter at the other end of the table. Asha startled slightly, and smiled sheepishly as Kili smirked. The Dwarves were merry, obviously happy too see one another, and Asha found that any irritation they may have caused was balanced by the high spirits and quick smiles. They were rambunctious to the edge of behind feral, such as when Bofur threw a boiled egg directly into Bombur's mouth from across the table, or when Fili grew tired of struggling to get out of his chair by conventional means and, instead, clambered up onto the table and walked down its length to refill tankards, and then back up again to regain his seat.

Bilbo, during all of this, grew very red in the face, and Asha worried for her brother.

When the Dwarves finally finished their means, Asha slipped away from the table and fell into line next to her brother, who seemed to be close to a panic attack. Scoffing, Bilbo grabbed a doily from Nori, his face the same color as his prized tomatoes. "Excuse me, that is a doily, not a dishcloth!"

"But it's full of holes!" Bofur protested, causing Asha snort.

Bilbo only shook his head. "It's meant to be like that, it's crochet."

Bofur grinned. "Oh, and a wonderful game it is, if you got the balls for it." His double meaning clear.

"Bebothered and confusticate these Dwarves!" Bilbo burst out suddenly, startling Asha.

Gandlaf, it seemed, was startled as well. "My dear Bilbo, what on earth is the matter?"

"What the matter?" Bilbo asked, his voice deadly calm. "I"m surrounded by Dwarves! What are they doing in my house?" He turned sharply on his heels, his eyes narrowed at his adoptive sister. "And why do so many of them seem to know you?"

"Oh." Gandalf interrupted quickly. "They're quite a merry gathering, once you get used to them."

Bilbo paused to gaze at Nori, who had a chain of sausages slung over his shoulder, and then Bofur, who grabbed them. The two played tug-of-war for a moment, before Bofur won and darted away with his prize.

"I don't want to get used to them. The state of my kitchen!" Bilbo cried out. "There's mud trod into the carpet, they've pillaged the pantry. I'm not even going to tell you what they've done to the bathroom; they've all but destroyed the plumbing! I don't understand what they're doing in my house!"

Asha winced as Bilbo finished his tired, guilt washing over her in waves. She was saved by Ori, who came forward quietly, a plate in hand, and a slightly regretful smile on his face. "Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?"

  
Fili walked by in that moment, a large grin stretching across his face. "Here you go, Ori, give it to me." He snagged the plate from the smaller Dwarf's hands and promptly winged it in Kili's direction, who threw it behind his back to Bifur, who stood near the kitchen sink, catching the plate without looking. Fili, Kili, and the other Dwarves began throwing the plates, bowls and utensils to each other, all ending at the sink to be washed. As dishware flew through the air, both Gandalf and Asha ducked to avoid being hit.

“Excuse me, that’s my mother’s West Farthing crockery, it’s over a hundred years old!” Bilbo yelled.“And can-can you not do that? You’ll blunt them!” Bilbo added as the Dwarves left sitting at the table began rhythmically drumming upon the wood with utensils and fists both.

Bofur chuckled. “Ooh, d’hear that, lads? He says we’ll blunt the knives.”

The Dwarves continued to toss the plates and other dishes and Kili started to sing a song that had Asha smiling and clapping her hands in time with the beat.

"Blunt the knives and bend the forks!  
Smash the bottles and burn the corks!  
Chip the glasses and crack the plates!  
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

Cut the cloth and trail the fat!  
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!  
Pour the milk on the pantry floor!  
Splash the wine on every door!

Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl;  
Pound them up with a thumping pole;  
And when you've finished, if they are whole,  
Send them down the hall to roll!

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!"

He truly was an exceptional singer, and the music she heard was quickly on key with nary a flat or sharp note. She watched as Bifur washed all the dishes at record speed, after catching everything thrown at him without looking, as the rest of the Dwarves made a show, all but the apparently exasperated Balin, of tossing everything around, trying to give Bilbo a good scare.

Fili and Kili, she had the feeling, were being more dramatic for her benefit, as they both kept glancing her way as they did daring stunts with the pottery. She heard the lot of them laughing in the kitchen as she swiped at the smoke left in the hallway by their pipes, when, suddenly, there were three loud knocks on the door, causing everyone to fall silent, the bowls, cups, and plates all staked up neatly on the table.

Asha watched with wide eyes as Gandalf leaned forward, his face sullen. "He is here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hia to all you beautiful bastards, I hope you having a great day and before I start talking about this chapter there is a few things that I would like to point out: First, thank you so much for reading my story! I can't believe in three days I've already gotten over fifty hits! The chapters will be slowing down tomorrow, and they the story will be update the second and last Monday of every month. (More often if I have extra days to work on it, I I doubt it.) Second, I've decided to change my OC's name from Kara to Asha. Kili and Kara didn't sound right no me, plus I didn't like the way both their names started with a K, so I hope that doesn't confuse to many people. If it has, then I've very sorry. 
> 
> Now, lets jump into the thick of this chapter, shall we? 
> 
> First off, I had so much fun writing this chapter. It is, by far, one of my favorite scenes from the movie, and I couldn't wait to put pen to paper and turn it into a readable story. Bilbo is none to happy with anyone is his home at the moment, Asha and Gandlaf lest of all. Asha's bound to get a scolding if a quite moment in the poor Hobbits home ever comes to light. 
> 
> I'm sorry that Throin didn't make an appearance in this chapter, but he'll be in the next, along with a certain wolf.
> 
> Feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> As always I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chapter! Bye Bye!


	6. Chapter Five

Thorin walked into the Hobbit's home, annoyed with his own lack of direction and the Wizards poor map that led through the maze that was the Shire. "Gandlaf, I thought that you said that his place would be easy to find." Frowning, the Dwarf turned to glare at the Wizard. "I lost my way. Twice. I wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for the wolf that led my way."

"Wolf?" Bilbo all but screeched. "There are no wolves in the Shire!"  

Mora nosed her way past the Dwarf then, her dark fur rippling in the lamp light. "There is a wolf in the Shire, Bilbo." Asha smiled. "Mora, you remember my adoptive brother do you not?"

Bilbo stood in shock as the wolf approached him, nearly five hands higher than himself. "Asha, take her away. Outside! I will not have wild animals in my home!"

Asha's expression darkened as she listed to his words. "You will not speak to her as if she is a beast, Bilbo Baggins! Mora has saved my life more than once, and I'm sure that by the time the journey is over, she will have saved yours as well."

Thorin walked deeper into the Hobbit's home, annoyed with his own lack of direction and Gandalf's poor map of the maze that was the Shire. She became all the more annoyed when he spotted the Hobbit himself - small, round, with hairy feet and nothing truly note worthy. The small woman's words shocked him a bit, but he choose to ignore her in lieu of stalking towards the creature that was meant to be their burglar.

"So, this is the Hobbit? Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?" Throin asked, his voice hard.

Bilbo appeared taken aback. "Pardon me?"

"Thorin scoffed. "Axe or sword? What is your weapon of choice?"

Bilbo frowned for a moment before answering. "Well, I have some skill at conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant."

Thorin snorted, shacking his head. "I thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."

The Dwarves all laughed while Bilbo became very red in the face, and Asha couldn't help but feel upset for her brother. Pointedly standing next to Bilbo, Asha glared at the Dwarves as they walked back to the dining table, most of all Thorin, and many had the grace to appear shame faced.

Balin was the first to speak once they found themselves seated at Bilbo's table once again. "What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?"

Thorin nodded, not taking his eyes away from his supper. "Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms."

The Dwarves began to murmur in obvious joy, their facial expressions brightening.

Dwalin stared hard at Thorin. "What do the Dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?"

Thorin shook his head. "They will not come. They say that this is our battle to fight."

As the Dwarves dived deeper into their conversation - how it would just be the lot of them retaking the mountain, as well as a few moments of nonsense about Gandalf killing many dragons - Bilbo came up behind them to listen and Asha found herself standing just to the side of the doorway, both to avoid being seen and to avoid the smoke from Gandalf and Bilbo's pipes, a smell she had never grown to enjoy.

When Bilbo spoke for the first time since the discussion had began, Thorin turned to glance at him, but then his eyes landed on Asha and stayed there. His eyes held both a combination of bafflement and surprise, the expression soon morphing into one of shocked anger.

Gandalf seemed to take Thorin's expression as his cue for an introduction.

"I see that you've finally noticed our lovely Asha Brystowe diSorvina. I've brought her here from her homeland to aide you on your quest and I urge you to accept her into your company."

Thorin narrowed his eyes as his gaze moved between the woman and the wizard before him, before turning to his Company, many of which seemed shockingly un-surprised. Both Fili and Kili looked pleased and exited, while Dwalin and Balin glanced between one another, only to turn to look at Asha, their expressions appraising.

Thorin finally broke the tense silence. "And what, pray tell, could this woman possibly do for us? How could we trust her?"

Before Asha could reply, Gandalf spoke for her. "Why, she is a skilled herbalist, with many medical talents. She can both cook, and hunt. She known the country side that you will travel well, as she spend much of her life as a nomad, never staying in one place for any length of time. She could provide insight from another perspective. She will help fight when things go awry, and, as I'm sure you well know, at least one thing will go awry on this journey." He gave the Dwarves a meaningful look.

"You should trust tha lass." Bofur said suddenly, his eye bright and a wide smile upon his face. "She would be a' asset when we deal with men, or elves for tha' matter. Even more so given tha' fact tha' she bares no ill will towards Dwarves, unlike so many of her kin."

Thorin gave Bofur a questioning look. "And how do you know she bears Dwarves no ill will? Her presence here does not mean she is our friend."

Mora growled lowly then, her hackles raising, Thorin ire towards her master clearly angering her. Asha rubbed her friends ears, shaking her head slowly. "Hush now."

Bofur returned the look with a sheepish grin. "Well, ya see, we've been traveling with 'er for tha past week." Thorin was still looking at him questioningly, his expression darkening as Bofur continued to speak. "Gandalf brought us ta her home and explained ta us tha she would be useful in our quest. She's been nothin' but kind and helpful, and when we needed food, she proved herself with her bow."

Glowering, Thorin asked. "And why is it that none of you felt the need to mention this to me?" He scowled at the group before him.

"It didn't seem necessary." Oin said suddenly, his need for the ear horn gone, it seemed. "Bofur is right: Asha has been nothing but kind and helpful during our travels, and I do believe that she could help us regain what we have lost."

"Aye, tha lass helped when she realized there would not be enough space for us all. She's been friendly an' respectful, na' a' all as rude as humans are ta Dwarves. She even allowed me ta eat wha' I now realize was 'er, an' Master Baggins dinner with nothing bu' a help ya self." He nodded at the affected parties. "She was even kind enough ta pour ale while I ate."

Asha snorted. "I did that because I was worried that you would choke, you were eating so quickly." Asha smiled at the younger son of Fundin, a smile he returned, in his own way. His grin ended up being a lopsided smirk that was more than partially hidden by his beard, while the other Dwarves chuckled at her comment.

Thorin looked to his nephews at the end of the table, his eyebrows raised. "And what do you two say about Miss Asha?"

"Just call me Asha. Miss has never suited me." Asha said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. For the first time since leaving her home nearly a week before, she realized that the chances of traveling with her friends was slim.

Thorin ignored the woman's interjections, looking pointedly at his nephews, who fidgeted slightly under his gaze, their eyes meeting for a breif moment. "We agree with the others, Uncle." Fili looked to Thorin as Kili began to speak. "Yes, she's rather helpful, Uncle. I think that you should allow her a chance, Uncle Thorin. After all, what possible harm could her presence cause?"

Gandalf interjected here. "You should listen to them, Thorin. I would not support her inclusion of I did not think she would be of help to you and your goal."

Bilbo spoke up then, his voice airy. "How would she help against a dragon?"

He was promptly ignored.

Throin scowled as he thought. Nearly all the Dwarves supported the woman's inclusion in their company and, while he trusted their judgement, he did not understand why they were so willing to support her. Turning his gaze to the girl, he saw that she was no longer watching the Dwarves around her, but instead burying her face into the ruff of her wolf's neck, murmuring low under her breath. Having a human on their side when dealing with humans, or elves, Mahal forbid, would ultimately help them. He doubted she would be of much use otherwise. True, the Wizard stated that she was a talent when it came to care of wounds and cooking or scouting, but she was, after all, a woman, and a rather young one at that.

"Does anyone have any other opinions to provide? Any objections to this woman joining our company?"

There was a general murmur among the assemble Dwarves, some whispering questions to those who had already had the chance to know the woman. He heard Gloin asking about whether or not she would be allowed to have a portion of the treasure, but Dwalin quickly retorted that anyone who risked their life for the mountain would get their due, regardless of race. He then heard Nori mumbling about why a human would want to help a Dwarf, much less twelve of them, and Ori pointed out that she had traveled with them for nearly a week with no sign of ill will, and that Gandalf would not support someone who meant them harm. His easy reasoning hushed any questions on the subject.

The minutes past and Asha looked up for a moment, nervousness clear on her expression, but Gandalf gave her a comforting smile, for he knew she had won them over already.

Balin interrupted the conversations by looking up suddenly, his expression curious. "Tell me, lass, why would you want to help us? You stand to gain nothing, nor could you have known about the treasure when you set out, due to the fact Bofur here claims you made no mention of it. So, why would you help us?"

Asha stood quietly for a moment before shrugging her narrow shoulders. "I knew of the treasure, but I didn't say anything because I do not care for it. I have no need for gold or jewels, nor do I care for payment or riches. Gandalf came to me, some odd two weeks ago, and spoke to me of the Lonely Mountain. He told me of how it used to be, before the dragon took it for it's own. Of the happiness that spread through the tunnels, of the life and love and hope and family."

Pausing, Asha gazed at the Dwarves, but they knew that she did not see her, for her gaze was far away. "I had that once, along time ago. But it was taken from me, violently, and I lost everything that day. My home, my family, everything. And when Gandalf told me your story, when he told me that you might have a chance to regain what you lost, I knew that I would help. Because, while I might never regain a home for myself, I can help you take back yours."

The Dwarves were silent, and slowly, ever so slowly, Asha returned to herself, seeing those before her, and their cheerless, horrified expressions. Asha smiled weakly at the group before turning to Thorin, eyebrows raised, awaiting an answer.

"Give the lass, and the Hobbit, the contract."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hia to all you beautiful bastards, I hope you having a fantastic Monday.
> 
> This chapter. I can't. I re-wrote it so many times, and I'm still not 100% pleased with it. I hope you enjoy it though! 
> 
> Asha has been accepted to the Company, yet they still know nothing of her Race. Human, indeed! What will happen when they find out, and when will they find out? I'm not sure yet, but I feel that I may place the big relieve near Rivendale. 
> 
> Maybe. 
> 
> Possibly. 
> 
> I make no promises! 
> 
> The next chappie will include one of the best songs ever from the books, and we will see the first true interaction between Kili and Asha, although no, it's not going to be romantic in any way. Come on guys, they'e known each other for a grand total of four or five hours! There will be more music than just Misty Mountains, brought to you by Asha and her guitar. Yes, she brought a guitar. If all the Dwarves can bring their instruments than she can bring her's. Although I debated on what to make it. I thought about a cello for a while, but their pretty big and would take up too much room. 
> 
> Also, I thought that it would be worth mentioning how I'm going to break up these stories. Dawn Shadows, what your reading right now, will be: The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey. Morning Fire will be: The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug. Midday Fury is going to be the first half of The Hobbit - The Battle of the Five Armies. I've changed the names of the last two books that will be written, so Evening Silence is going to be Evening Defiance instead, and it will be the second half of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Dusk Defiance is being changed to Dusk Delight and will not follow the movies at all. Instead, it is going to be the life after BOFA, where we will see Kili and Asha as they make a life together and such. I'm not about to give away any plot lines, thank you very much.
> 
> As always feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chapter! Bye Bye!


	7. Chapter Six

Asha smiled softly, her eyes bright as she carefully balanced on the balls of her feet, swaying slightly.

"Wait, me?! Why in the world would I be coming along?" Bilbo looked entirely confused by how he had gotten dragged into this. "I am not a burglar! I have never stolen anything in my life!"

"Hobbits are incredibly light on their feet and can go completely unnoticed by most, if they choose." Gandalf revealed his reason for choosing the Hobbit, and, surprisingly, Asha found then to make sense.

Ignoring the Hobbit's outburst, Thorin waved his hand, a heavy sigh falling from his lips, as he watched Balin scribble on a thick sheet of parchment for a moment, before handing it to Asha. She promptly began reading it, mumbling to herself as she sank down into a chair, her eyes skimming over the words carefully. " . . . accidental or willful mishap . . . cash on delivery, up to and not exceeding one fifteenth of the total profit . . . death by . . . basically everything." Looking up, Asha's expression was weary. "Gandalf, I don't think I fancy the idea of death by everything."

Gandalf laughed, motioning for her to sign before she lost her nerve, causing Asha to frown. The Dwarves watched her closely as she continued to read the contract, turning the paper to and fro as she attempted to read the smaller print. On more than one occasion, she brought the papers to Gandalf, or Thorin or Balin, to clarify what a certain word meant. Finally, after several long minutes, Asha looked up, her skin deathly pale.

"So, lots of fire, hmm?" She questioned, her voice faint. "Never did like fire. And the way this reads, the chances of me getting out alive are . . ?"

"Slim. Moderate." Bofur said quickly in succession. "Oh, well, if the journey there doesn't kill you first, than there are plenty of monsters and nasties that might do you in. Plus, the dragon. One plume of fire and poof, your nothin but a pile of Asha, I mean ash." He joked, his expression bright.

Asha looked between the dwarves and the contract for a moment, before cursing and snatching a quill from Gandalf's finger tip, signing her name in a flowing, curling script that Balin did not quite recognize, but could almost read.

She handed Bilbo the contract, which he promptly began to read, growing more and more worried as he did, the words laceration and incineration sending him into a fit.

Bofur chuckled. "Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye."

Asha watched Bilbo carefully as he shook his head.

"You alright, laddie?"

Bilbo, still shaking his head, bent over, clearly nauseous. "Uh, yeah, I, uh, feel a bit faint.

"Think furnace with wings." Bofur said happily, leaping to his feet and to stand at the dining room door way.

"Bofur . . ." Asha warned.

"Air, I - I - I need air." Bilbo panted.

"Flash of light, searing pain, then, poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash. Just like I told Asha." Bofur smiled.

"Bofur . . ." Asha said once more, her voice pleading.

Bilbo straightened, his breath deep and regular, and for a moment, Asha thought he was going to be fine. And then the blood drained from his face and he promptly fell. Before his head could hit Asha vaulted over the table, her skirt billowing about her hips as she moved, and she gripped his shoulders tightly, looping her arms under his, although the position drug her to the floor as well.

"Oh, very helpful, Bofur." Gandalf sighed, staring at the Hobbit and the Changling, who now looked up at the group with wide eyes.

"Get him off me!" She gasped out. "He weighs as much as a horse!"

Moving forward, Gandalf carefully pulled the still unconscious Hobbit from the small woman's body. Together, the two moved Bilbo to his room. Shaking her head, Asha retreated from the Hobbit's room and all but collapsed onto Mora, who laid before the fire in the parlor. She was tired, and her ribs were sore from Bilbo's elbow slamming against them as she fell, and as she fell, Mora huffed in annoyance.

"Sorry, girl, but there isn't enough beds through out the home for me to take one." Asha said softly, running her fingers through her wolf's fur. Mora seemed unsatisfied by her apology, because the next thing she knew, she was being tilted to the floor, her hip hitting painfully against the hard wood floor. "Mora!"

A roughly timbered laugh sounded to her left, and Asha straightened, only to find Kili looking down at her with a wide smile. "She doesn't seem to approve of being used as a bed."

Mora growled softly, a wolfish smile spreading across her lips. Asha nodded. "She says I'm to large to be treated like a pup."

"She says?" Kili wondered out loud.

Wincing, Ashlynn shrugged, unwilling to delve into the reasons behind her understanding the wolves of the world. Kili watched her for a moment before dropping to the floor, his booted feet passing hers easily as he leaned back against Mora. He shifted for a moment, and when he paused, their shoulders were all but pressed together. A silence stretched between the two, but it was not a silence that drew awkward attention, instead, if it flowed between the two, calm and easy.

"Asha!" A voice called out suddenly, breaking the peaceful silence between Dwarf and Changling. "Look what I found! Our Master Burglar says that it was yours."

Looking up, Asha was shocked to see the smooth, white wood of her guitar, something she had though to be gone long ago. The strings were well taken care of, without a spoke of rust, or looseness present. Bofur smiled as he watched her expression morph into one of pure delight, her fingers twitching as she studied the instrument before her. "Play us a song." He pleaded, his voice sweet and low.

"I've not . . ." Taking the guitar into her hands, Asha carefully ran gentle fingers over the strings. "I've not played in years."

"I'm sure you'll remember." Bofur pushed, drawing the attention of the others. "Go on, Asha, play us a song."

So she tuned the guitar, as she sat there in the rosy fire light and played and hummed the songs under her breath, thinking of all the times she had watched her father do the same - playing songs for the pack, of her brother playing his guitar and her singing harmonies. In the background, she heard the sound of feet against the wood, the Dwarves drawing closer.

"I can hear you humming." Kili said softly, knocking his shoulder against her's. "Do you sing?"

Asha made a low noise of acknowledgement, still finger-picking idly.

"Are those your songs?"

"Some." Asha said softly. "Some are my father's. Others, my mother's."

"Have you written one for them?"

She had written a thousand songs for her parents, for her family. "Yes."

"I'd like to hear it."

She didn't stop playing, just modulated carefully into a major key. For the first time in years, she sang out loud. It was a song that spoke of sorrow and loss, and the tone of the guitar reflected that.

"One thousand ways to say good-bye.  
One thousands ways to cry.  
One thousand ways to say your love before you go outside.  
I say good-bye good-bye good-bye.  
I shout it out so loud.  
Cause the next time that I find my voice I might not remember how."

Opening her eyes, she saw the Dwarves looking at her, a sad sort of awe written across their faces.

Kili looked down at her, his eyes like liquid in the fire light. "I don't know what to say."

"There isn't anything to say." Asha responded quietly, her voice thick with emotions.

Fili moved to her side then, sitting heavily to her right, while his brother sat her her left. The Dwarves all seemed to be gathered around the fire, smoking their pipes and remembering. A gentle hum sounded through the room, and soon, Thorin began to sing, the other's joining him while Gandalf listened from nearby; Bilbo stayed hidden away in his room, but Asha was sure that he was listening.

Asha found herself with her head against Kili's shoulder, a large, calloused hand weaving through her hair as they listened to the Dwarves.

“Far over the misty mountains cold  
To dungeons deep and caverns old  
We must away ere break of day  
To find our long-forgotten gold

The pines were roaring on the height  
The winds were moaning in the night  
The fire was red, it flaming spread  
The trees like torches blazed with light”

The voices became blurry as the song came to an end, and Asha found her eyes closing, darkness creeping over her as she heard the dwarves wondering to find a place to sleep of their own.

~~~

That night, Asha half woke in the early morning, long before dawn, the room washed clean by pale moonlight, and found that she was pressed against Kili's back, her hands balled against her chest. She could just barely see the dark curve of his shoulder, and something about the shape it made, the gesture it suggested, filled her with a sort of fierce, awful affection. His body was warm and he smelled so good - like trees, and soil, and sunshine - that she buried her face in his shoulder and closed her eyes again. He made a soft noise and rolled his shoulders back against her, pressing closer.

It was then that she realized there was a heavy sort of weight atop her and she realized that Kili's cloak was thrown over her small form, much like a blanket.

Just before she drifted back to sleep again, her breathing slowing to match his, she had a brief, burning though: What if he knew what she was?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hia to all my beautiful bastards. I hope your having a great day! So, this is the last toss out chapter and after today, all chapters will be updated regular. (Hopefully every other Monday, maybe.) But I make no promises. Knowing my hectic schedule, you won't get anything for weeks at a time, then, all of a sudden, you'll have five chapters in the course of two days! 
> 
> So, their interaction was not romantic. *Continues to repeat this to herself as she writes* Or, at least, it wasn't meant to be that way. I mean, Fili was right there next to her! So it wasn't romantic. It wasn't romantic. It wasn't romantic. 
> 
> There's going to be a lot of more or Mora in the chapters to come, but I warn you now, don't get too attached to her! I won't say any more than that, but keep in mind that she's nearly ten years old now, so . . . . yeah. *cough cough* 
> 
> As always feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chapter! Bye Bye!


	8. Chapter Seven

When Asha woke the next morning, she instantly shot straight up into the air, heart pounding. Her head was stuffed with dreams: Wolves and humans and blood smeared on her lips.

"Uhhhhgg." Kili mumbled, his voice thick with sleep, and pulled a sheet up around his neck. He rolled over, his dark hair barely visible above the edge of the sheet, and sank into the floor as if he had grown into the wood.

And that was it. Asha was awake, and no one else was.

She couldn't keep her thoughts together. She stood in the kitchen, staring at the cabinets, her mind racing as her wolf struggled to escape.

"Asha, you are Asha." She told herself firmly.

~~~

When the others woke, they wandered into the dining room, clearly shocked to see a breakfast spread out across the table, born from a second, and last, raid of Bilbo's pantry. Eggs and bacon and sausage. Biscuits and muffins and hot cakes. Jams and syrups and butter.

Kili and Fili staggered into the kitchen, where they found Asha stirring oatmeal in a pot large enough to feed a small army it seemed. Or thirteen hungry Dwarves. Kili joined her at the counter and leaned against it, peering down into the pan. Asha could tell that he wasn't pleased by the prospect of oatmeal.

"How long have you been awake?" Fili asked sleepily, his eyelids drooping as he scratched his ribs.

Asha smiled ruefully, the dark circles under her eyes informing the brothers of her sleepless night. "Awhile." She stated evasively. "Get me some bowls, would you?" Kili set them on the counter and Asha divided the oatmeal between them, releasing a sweet scent. "Take these to the others. Tell them to try it or I'll smack them with a wooden spoon. If they don't like it after they've tried it, they don't have to eat it."

With a nod, Kili and Fili staggered back to the dinning room, carrying the bowls carefully. Asha could hear the protests from the Dwarves but they soon settled down as she sent out hot tea and honey. Drifting into the dining room, she grabbed her own bowl and quickly swallowed a spoonful - it was all brown sugar and maple and cinnamon.

Kili pointed an oatmeal-covered spoon at her. "This stuff is sticky."

"Ingrate." Asha said, rolling her eyes as she continued to eat. "If you don't like it, then don't eat it. At least you tried."

"It's actually okay." Fili said suddenly, a yawn interrupting his sentence.

The rest of the breakfast past in silence, although she noticed that not a single Dwarf turned away her oatmeal. Very few seemed to be a morning person: Bofur, Bifur, and Gandalf. Mora, as it turned out, did not enjoy the mornings and sat sullenly in the corner of the kitchen, growling softly at anyone who dared walk near her. They were all well rested and once breakfast was finished and the last dish cleaned and put away, they proceeded to don their full traveling gear and finish arranging their packs.

Asha had quickly straighten her dress, which doubled as her traveling gear, and threw her bow and quiver on her back. She slipped her leather arm guards over her wrists, pulling the laces tight. It had been a simple task to fill her leather side bag with a supply of fresh clothes, soaps, non-perishable food items, a flit box, several filled water skins and flasks, and a soft, oiled sheep-skin bedroll.

Gandalf, while the other's finished preparing for their journey, slipped from the house, and nearly an hour later the Dwarves and one Changeling evacuated the Hobbit's home. They found Gandalf standing just down the longest dirt road of the Shire, where he had a single brown horse and fifteen ponies tied away.

As she clambered to straddle Mora, she noticed, not for the first time, that the wolf's once pure black fur was slowly developing a silver haze at the muzzle and ears, the paws and the tip of her tail. She was growing old, Asha knew, but she couldn't bare to think of her passing.

And so they sat out.

Asha discovered that the time spent riding passed quickly as the group chatted and discussed their coming journey. Their discussions had led to the current argument over Bilbo appearing or not. Asha was positive that her adoptive brother would show, and had bet nearly all of the gold she had brought with her on it, looking forward to making a hefty profit.

The Dwarves that trusted her well, namely the younger ones, the Broadbeams and Balin and, unexpectedly, Oin, bet along with her and Gandalf, whereas Dori abstained because he thought gambling was in bad taste (and proceeded to glare at his two brothers for participating), while Thorin, Dwalin, Gloin, and Nori bet against Bilbo because they felt the little Hobbit would be too scared to leave him home and face the world.

Only an hour passed before their bet was settled.

Asha was the first to hear the Hobbit's frantic cries, and she patted Mora's shoulder, signaling for her to stop, if only for a moment. The other's watched her curiously, reining in their ponies, while she pressed a finger to her lips, pointing down the thin dirt road they had just traveled down. A moment past, and, quite suddenly, Bilbo appeared from behind the trees, waving the contract wildly. "Wait! Wait! I signed it!" Smiling happily, the Hobbit handed the contract to Balin, his face flushed from running. "I signed it!"

Looking at the parchment before him, Balin inspected the contract with a pocket-glass before smiling at Bilbo. "Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."

The dwarves cheered, but loudest of all Asha, who had won back enough gold to buy supplies to last the trip, and then some.

Thorin, unfortunately, didn't seem to be impressed. "Give him a pony."

Bilbo looked up quickly, his face quickly draining to white. “No, no, no, no, that - that won’t be necessary, thank you, but I - I’m sure I can keep up on foot. I - I - I - I’ve done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton once - WAGH!” Bilbo's speech was abruptly cut off as Fili and Kili rode up alongside him and picked him up from behind before putting him on a pony.

As Bilbo was lifted to his Bilbo, Oin looked up with a glint in his eyes. "Come one, Nori, pay up. Go on."

Nori sighed and quickly tossed a sack of money to Oin; and Asha couldn't help but to laugh as she watched sacks of money begin to pass between the dwarves.

"Hey, hey, hey!" One cried out, but Asha had her eyes trained on Bilbo, who was gazing around with confused eyes.

"What's this about, then?"

Gandalf smirked. "Oh, they all took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't."

Bilbo frowned. "What did you two think?"

Gandalf sat silently for a moment, as did Asha, before they both shot a hand out, catching their share of the money and putting it into their bags.

"Bilbo!" Asha began, her eyes bright and chaotic.

"We never doubted you for a second." Gandalf finished, clearly pleased with himself.

Bilbo nodded, before sneezing suddenly and loudly, causing Asha to startle on Mora, nearly falling off. "Ohh, all this horse hair, I'm having a reaction."

Asha watched as Bilbo began to search his pockets for his handkerchief but, when he was unable to find it, he looked up in shock, quickly pulling his pony to a stop. "No, no, wait, wait, stop! Stop! We must turn around."

The Company came to a halt then, and the dwarves started objecting to it, asking what the problem was, while Asha merely shook her head, prodding Mora into motion.

Gandalf sighed. "What on earth is the matter?"

"I forgot my handkerchief."

Bofur snorted, tearing a strip of cloth from his clothing before tossed it easily to Bilbo, who caught it and held it as if it were going to attack him. "Use that!"

The dwarves all laughed at the scene before them, and even Asha couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as Bilbo continued to look at the scrap of cloth in disgust.

Thorin sighed, kicking the ribs of his pony lightly. "Move on."

Gandalf smiled, and leaned forward to softly pat the Hobbit upon the head. "You’ll have to manage without pocket-handkerchiefs and a good many other things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journey’s end. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you; the world is ahead.”

And so began the quest for Erebor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo all you beautiful bastards, I hope you're having a fabulous day and welcome back to Dawn Shadows! 
> 
> So, before I even try to talk about this chapter I have a huge shout out to give - OMG_Mangos, your the best. You're comment literally made my day, and the fact you threw in a Kudos as well just makes you too damn awesome! 
> 
> Now, to the Chappie! 
> 
> The journey begins! There's not much else to say about that, aside from the oatmeal that Asha made was oatmeal that I used to make as a child, and let me tell you, if you ate to much of it, you would die. Lembas Bread has nothing on the way that stuff fills you up! 
> 
> Also, Asha tends to have the attitude of a mother bear. You will eat or you will suffer. She's a strange mix of bad-ass ninja wolf girl, and adorably awkward, sweet, innocent child who knows nothing of the world. 
> 
> Also, I just realized the huge age gap between Asha and Kili and now I've freaked myself out a little. She's still just a kid to the Dwarves! I'm pretty sure that I'm going to change her age. Maybe around sixty? Because Kili is eighty-two, so that makes about a twenty year difference. That doesn't seem to bad. Does it? 
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments below. 
> 
> As always feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chapter! Bye Bye!


	9. Chapter Eight

_They ran. They were silent, dark drops of water, rushing over brambles and around the trees as the Orcs drove them forward._

_The woods she knew, the woods that protected her, were punched through by their sharp odors and their shouts. She scrambled here and there among the other wolves, guiding and following, keeping the pack together. The fallen trees and underbrush felt unfamiliar beneath her feet; she kept from stumbling by flying - long, endless leaps, barely touching the ground._

_It was terrifying to not know where she was._

_They traded simple images among themselves in our wordless, futile language: dark figures behind, figure atop beasts that smelled of death and decay; motionless, cold wolves; the smell of death in their nostrils._

_They were being hunted._

~~~

Asha bolted upright on her bed roll, her heart pounding, eyes wide, tears tracing salty tracks down her cheeks. Drawing her knees to her chest, Asha shoved her fist against her mouth, muffling the sounds of her sobs.

"Ya alrigh', lass?"

Her head swiveled so quickly towards the voice, her neck cracked violently. But it was only Bofur. Bofur. Because he had the last watch of the night. He stared at her closely, concerned, as her eyes closed, and she forced herself to breath.

"M'm fine, Bofur." Asha croaked hoarsely into her knees, the treat of tears still very much real.. "I didn't sleep well, is all."

Bofur watched the tiny woman for a moment before nodding, unconvinced. He continued to study her, even as he watched their surroundings.

The Dwarves knew that the lass suffered from night-terrors, if the two weeks past now was any indication. They knew not what her dreams were of, for she refused of them.

She had hopped, prayed even, that the grueling pace Thorin had set for the group would leave her without enough energy to dream, yet it never did. She had even taken up fighting with Dwalin of the evenings, after helping set the camp up, but even that was not helpful, although the Dwarves held a new kind of respect for the lass, after seeing her fight for the first time.

Her instincts were good, and Gloin and Dwalin had both been surprised by their discovery. Her speed, agility, flexibility, and spatial awareness had shown them all what she was truly capable of, should she ever grow angry. Her fighting strategy, as it were, was something she had mastered over the course of the years - spinning and slashing with two small twin daggers, ducking and dodging her enemies, rolling to the side before launching into the air from a crouched position. She watched her adversary carefully, especially since the Dwarves where much more powerful than her, and would wait for the right moment to strike. When she did attack, it was both precise and filled with purpose - a powerful attack that was strong enough to send both Fili and Kili reeling with the motion.

Yet she still dreamed at night.

Shivering deeply, Asha took up her blanket and moved to join Bofur near Mora, who he leaned against, eyes downcast.

Before she settled comfortably, Bofur sighed. "Would you care ta share jus' what' it's been about your dreams tha' make ya look so scared when ya wake?"

Asha turned to study the Dwarf's face before she spoke, taking note of his eyes, which scanned the area around them before flitting back to her, then repeating the scan. He looked a little more tired than he had when they had left Bag's End, and a little more unkempt because his braids were beginning to unravel, but that was to be expected, she supposed, after riding ponies all day and then sleeping on the ground. The actions were not pleasant, but, then again, neither was the smell of a group of Dwarves, a Hobbit, and a Wizard who hand't bathed in two weeks. Asha refused to travel in filth and made a point of finding a creek or river to bath in every night.

When she didn't answer for a moment, the Dwarf to her left looked back to her, his brows drawn together from worry.

Bofur was truly a sweet and kind Dwarf, worrying over everyone who made up the Company, even if they were not close, like her and Bilbo, who didn't have any family in the Company to keep an eye on them. Though she was still a mystery of sorts to the Company, he still found himself growing fond of the young lass, and he knew that nearly all the other Dwarves felt the same.

Asha had relieved, during a lunch break that consisted of bread and cheese being passed through the Company without a stop, that she had never known her name day, and, instead, celebrated the day she escaped from her life as a slave.

Following that tidbit of information, Kili asked her how old she was, for which he was promptly smacked upside the head by Fili and Bofur both, with Dori behind reminding the young prince that is was incredibly rude to ask a woman her age.

Asha had only laughed and explained that she rounded up her years to nearly fifty-eight, although she admitted that she could, and probably was, wrong.

The Dwarves had all been shocked by her easy reply, and Asha turned to find the group looking at her, their faces slack. For a human, she was very old, yet she appeared to be no further past her twenties than a human could be. Yet, for a Dwarf, she was just beginning to come of age. They all realized at that moment just how young she truly was, but her mannerisms and the way she viewed the world had inspired a protective streak in the Company, Throin included. They wondered, though, at her age, and asked repeatedly why she appeared so young - questions she ignored, or countered with her own.

Thorin, after a long day of riding, had grown ill tempered with the lass. "You will inform me as to why you seem ageless." His voice was hard, but he would not have the woman keeping secrets, possibly dangerous secrets, from him and his comrades.

Asha had stared at Throin, not expecting the hostile reaction to her refusal to reveal her race.

"I am, as far as I know, the last of my kind, Thorin Oakenshield. I do not tell you what I am, for I fear that you will distant me for it. I'm sorry." Her chagrined expression showed that she did, indeed, regret any insult that the Dwarves might taken from her lack of clarity, her eyes growing glassy with un-shed tears that refused to fall. "It's dangerous. Dangerous for me to tell you, and for you to know."

Thorin, it seemed, had felt like an proper ass for becoming angry at the lass, and the glares he had received from Balin, Gandalf, Bilbo, Oin, Dori, Bofur, and his nephews had showed their disapproval of his ill temper.

Ori, normally a kind, timid heated Dwarf, glared at Throin as he moved forward, gently leading the lass from the group, soft words falling from his lips as he tried to assure her that it mattered not what she was, for they liked her for her, and nothing more.

Asha had been nothing but nice since the day they had met her, in Ori's opinion, and the two had spent many hours while riding discussing Dwarven culture. She was always curious, and asked many questions about everything Ori told her. Balin had told her of their history. How they had been made by Mahal. How Durin the Deathless had been the one to gather the seven Dwarvish clans and make the first Dwarven kingdom. How he was the ancestor of their own three royals.

Dori spoke of Dwarrows being devoted to their crafts, whether it be smith or stone worker or scribe, to the point that many never married.

When she had asked about the place of Dwarven women in their society, Ori explained that they were greatly treasured, because they were so few, and how many Dwarrowdams were as devoted to their crafts as the males of their race. He told her they were as fierce fighters as the males. How they had equal, nearly equal, standing in their society. Of course, he said quickly, they were expected to behave in a womanly fashion, but it did not keep them from being as rambunctious and loud as a male.

The conversation of women in dwarven society had led to a discussion about the scarcity and sacredness of dwarflings to dwarves. Asha had found it sweet and comforting, as well as entirely appropriate, to discover that little ones were watched by all members of dwarven society, regardless of whether they were family or not, and dwarves were very concerned with family ties, titles, status, and wealth. All children were to be protected and taken care of, and to hurt a child made one the worst kind of criminal.

Asha had commented, rather lightly, that it reminded her of home, for her own people watched after their own with a fierce sort of devotion.

"I remember feelings, and they are not ones that elect a peaceful sleep." Asha spoke suddenly, her voice nearly a whisper, drawing Bofur from his thoughts and dragging his eyes to her face, which was pale. "Sometimes I remember images. Running through the forest. Blood. The slave collar." Pausing, Asha took a deep, shuddering breath. "It's not things that I want to remember. It's not things that should be remembered. That is why I do not speak of it."

Bofur stared at the little lass for a moment, assessing the truth of her words, before sighing, his gaze returning to the surrounding area.

And so the early morning passed; Asha found herself sitting with her guitar in hand, her fingers moving across the strings in some rapid finger picking piece that she'd never played before, but felt right. She began to hum, her voice light as she watched the sun rise over the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo all you beautiful bastards, I hope you're having a great day, and first lets get through the shout outs. 
> 
> OMG_Mangos ~ Ya tha best. Comments for days.  
> Imreth - Not as many comments, but great opinions! Thank so much for your input, I've taken it to heart.
> 
> Now, to the Chappie!
> 
> Yes, I know, this is more of a filler chapter than anything, seeings how there isn't any real plot or any connection to the movies or books, but I starting writing and this is what came out. Hopfully you all don't mind to much. 
> 
> Concerning the age gap between Asha and Kili I've decided to fix the problem by doing this: Changlings live to be nearly two hundred years old, on fifty or so years less than a typical Dwarf. At fifty-eight-ish years old, Asha would be around seventeen in human years, but she has the appearance of a twenty year old. 
> 
> Asha's night terror's is going to become a big thing in this story, which was one of the reasons I just kinda went with what happened. Plus, I wanted to show the passage of time, and that Asha is making an effort to know the Dwarves better.
> 
> As always feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next Chappie! Bye Bye!


	10. Chapter Nine

The days past slowly and Asha found herself singing as they rode, her light, lithing voice paired with the deep bass of Fili, who was, it seemed, more than slightly tone deaf, and the low, rich tenor of Kili and Bofur. On occasion the others would join as well, making for a richly diverse harmony, but, more often than not, it was just the four of them. Kili seemed to sing more often than his brother, riding beside Asha so they could hear each other over the sound of hooves against dirt and stone, and the low conversations that never seemed to die through out the Company.

The two, when not singing, would often talk about their past lives; Kili loved to tell stories from his childhood, about growing up within Ered Luin, Ori and Fili joining in occasional to throw a fact out, or correct their friend of an event. He spoke often of a friend named Gimli, and Asha learned that it was none other than Gloin's son.

From their words, they were well known for leaving a trail of mischief and mayhem in their wake.

They talked the days away, learning more about one another - Kili only seeming more charming, sweet, and funny in Asha's eyes, while she did the same in his.

Of all the Dwarves, Kili was the most attractive, in Asha's opinion of course, but it was not because he was handsome. He was real, he as living, a breathing person, and he was kind and sweet and thoughtful, as well as funny and honest. He wasn't just those things, a person was never that one dimensional: there was a sadness about him, and shame, there, in his eyes, a look of disappointment, but also hints of defiance and determination.

Asha did not know what it was that brought those emotions upon him, but she could wager a guess.

Kili wasn't like the other Dwarves, that much was obvious even to the most oblivious of people. His favored weapon, and the one he was the most skilled in, was the bow. He didn't have a full beard. He lacked his Fili's and Thorin's regal, commanding, presence, their more logical minds. Quite simply, he was nothing like a person would expect from the heir to a throne. He was soft hearted, too kind, too much of everything he shouldn't be, and not enough of anything he should be.

Asha knew that Fili wouldn't change his nadadith, his little brother, for the world, and she was sure that Throin wouldn't either, if only because they knew that a person like him was a precious and rare gift to the world; that an open heart with a kind, keen mind, one that could see the light in the darkest night, was a candle to others who would otherwise be lost in the same darkness.

She knew, though, that the others did not notice that darkness that darkened Kili's own light. Asha couldn't help but think that the disappointment she saw in his eyes was directed toward himself.

Asha and Kili had a lot in common, and the seemed to know such instinctively, thus, they became close friends in the first month or so of their journey through shared conversations, shared songs, and shared stories. Their growing friendship was only strengthened when Kili discovered that had a natural skill with the bow, as Kili himself did, another commonality between the two.

They day the spoke of the strange color of her hair seemed to be the hottest day of her life. Even under of the tall trees, the heat crept in around them all and pressed against them in waves. Atop Mora, Asha slouched back, her spine aliened with the wolf's, and sucked in the summer as if she could hold every drop of it inside her. As the hours crept by, the afternoon sunlight bleached the world around her to a pale, gilded version of itself, and warmed the soil beneath so that the smell of unlived life hung in the air.

Her guitar lay across her stomach and her fingers idly picked at the strings, the moments passing slowly as she composed the lyrics and imagined the guitar riff that would accompany the song she was forming in her head.

"I can hear you humming." Kili said suddenly. "What are you singing?"

Lazily opening one eye, Asha glanced to her right, where Kili sat atop his pony. For once, due to the fact she was laying atop Mora, she had to look up to see his face. She shrugged, still idly finger picking. "A new song."

"What about."

Shrugging, Asha smiled. "The Lonely Mountain. Or the Company." Pausing, she frowned slightly, shifting so that both legs were slung over Mora's right shoulder, her bare feet resting against her neck. Kili couldn't help but stare at the smooth expension of her legs, so unlike the Dwarven women he had known, and noticed, for the first time, the tattoos that adorned her feet. They were wolf paws, the lines of fur thick and heavy, and the followed the line of her own feet perfectly. "I think it's about both - the Company reclaiming the Lonely Mountain. Finding their home."

"Sing it for me."

Asha smiled, the sounds emitting from the stings flowing into a rhythm, the tune playing itself again and again. And then she opened her mouth and began to sing.

"We're a phoenix in the water,  
A fish that's learned to fly,  
And we've always held our honer,  
But feathers are meant for the sky.

And so we're wishing, wishing further,  
For the excitement to arrive,  
It's just we'd rather be causing the chaos,  
Than laying at the sharp end of this knife.

With every small disaster,  
We'll let the waters still,  
Take us away to some place real.

'Cause they say home is where your heart is set in stone,  
Is where you go when you're alone,  
Is where you go to rest your bones,  
It's not just where you lay your head,  
It's not just where you make your bed,

As long as we're together, does it matter where we go?

Home.

So when we're ready to be bolder,  
And our cuts have healed with time,  
Comfort will rest on our shoulder,  
And we'll bury our past behind.

We'll always keep it with us,  
It'll be always on our mind,  
But there's a shining in the shadows,  
We'll never know unless we try.

With every small disaster,  
We'll let the waters still,  
Take us away to some place real.

'Cause they say home is where your heart is set in stone,  
Is where you go when you're alone,  
Is where you go to rest your bones,  
It's not just where you lay your head,  
It's not just where you make your bed.

As long as we're together, does it matter where we go?

Home.

'Cause they say home is where your heart is set in stone,  
Is where you go when you're alone,  
Is where you go to rest your bones,  
It's not just where you lay your head,  
It's not just where you make your bed,

As long as we're together, does it matter where we go?"

Kili retched forward as the song came to an end and tweaked her ear with his finger tips, drawing her attention. The Company stared at her in astonishment. It was Ori who spoke first, his voice high with elation.

"Will you sing that again? I want to record the lyrics, and I didn't catch all of them." He asked, his expression bright.

And so Asha went over the verses once, twice, three times. As she sang the song again and again, she leisurely began to weave her fingers through her hair, the bright strands catching on the light of the sun, making them pale and seem brighter than normal.

"Asha?" Kili started as a lapse grew between Ori and the lass. "Has your hair always been that color?"

Asha paused, her fingers tangled through several knots, her eyes wide. "For as long as I can remember. Why?"

Kili shrugged. "It's a strange color. I don't believe that I've ever seen anyone with hair quite as white as yours. Except for Balin, of course."

Asha scoffed. "Is that your way of telling me I look old?"

Kili flushed red and the Company roared at his discomfort. "I - of course not! I just never - I mean to say -"

Asha nearly fell from Mora as she began to laugh. Tears streamed from her eyes due to her mirth, and she clutched at her ribs. "I was only joking!"

The redness from Kili's face did not fade, and he stared at his hands. "I only wanted to know why your hair was such a strange color."

Asha's smile slipped from her face, only to be replaced by a angry scowl. "My hair color is not strange. My people often have white hair, or grey or silver. You would do well to remember that, Master Dwarf."

And with that she rode ahead, her heels prompting Mora to move quickly so that she rode between Gandalf and Thorin. Her face was red, and her eyes glassy, yet she said not another word. Instead, she sat in stony silence, staring straight ahead, remembering times when her hair, her height, her figure would not have made her strange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo to all my beautiful bastards ~ I hope your having a fabulous day! 
> 
> Again, this is a bit of a filler chapter, but not quiet. For anyone who is curious the song that Asha sings is 'Home by Gabriella Aplin'. If you've not heard it yet, then you should definitely check it out. I had to modify it a bit to apply it to the Company, but I don't think anyone will mind. I hope. 
> 
> So, Asha is mad at Kili! Dun Dun DUN!!!! Don't worry, she can't stay mad long, and I'm sure that they'll make up in no time. *Cough Cough* The next chappie. *Cough Cough* We will also a bit of fluff between the two, but is Asha going to realize that's what it is? And hear the amazing tale of how Throin became known as Throin Oakinshield. 
> 
> As always feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chapter! Bye Bye!


	11. Chapter Ten

_Asha was too hot. The bed roll stuck to her damp skin; she tasted sweat at the corner of her lips. As the wolves howled, her skin tingled with heat, a hundred tiny needle pricks that ran down her body before traveling up again. Everything felt painful: the sheep-shin cover's uncomfortable weight on her, Kili's cold hand on her hip, the wailing high cries of the wolves that existed only in her head, the shape of her skin on her own body._

_She was asleep; She was dreaming; She was awake, coming out of a dream. She couldn't decide._

_In her mind, she saw all the people she'd ever seen shift into wolves: Her youngest Brother, mournful and tired, her Father, strong and controlled, her Uncle, savage and primitive, her Mother, swift and easy. They all observed Asha from the forest, dozens of eyes watching her: the outside, the one who wouldn't change._

_Asha's tongue stuck to the roof of her sandpaper mouth. She wanted to lift her face from the damp pillow, but it felt like too much trouble. She waited restlessly for the feeling to pass, but her body hurt too much._

_Looking at her hands, she imagined them brilliant white. She felt the weight of a ruff hanging on her shoulders, felt nausea shudder through her body._

_And then for a single moment she felt nothing but the cold air of the night and heard nothing but her own ragged breathing. But then the wolves began to howl again, and her body shuddered with a sensation that was both new and familiar._

_She was going to shift._

_Asha choked on the wolf rising up inside of her, pressing against the lining of her stomach, clawing inside her skin, trying to peel her inside out._

_She wanted it, and her muscles burned and groaned._

_Pain slit her._

_She had no voice._

_She was on fire._

_She sprang from her bed-roll, shaking off her skin._

~~~

Asha awoke human, though her bed-roll was twisted and stank of wolf. Her breathing was ragged, her skin cold, and, for a moment, she could not remember where she was.

It was Golin who finally brought Asha to herself again, his rattling snores reminding her of her surroundings.

The Company had come to a stop for a night, the mood tense as the set up camp, all knowing of the anger directed toward the youngest prince. Their camp site was a small cliff side, close to a river, yet far enough away that the roar of the water was a mild murmur.

The night had been clear and Asha, tired beyond words had fallen asleep the moment she had climbed into her bed-roll. She had felt sick. Sick from arguing with Kili, sick from doubt, sick from the unknown. More than sick - restless, unsettled. To many unanswered questions: Would they accept her? Would they hate her? Would they attack her, as many outsiders were want to do when they learned of her nature?

Her eyes settled on Golin, who snored loudly, a handful of tiny flying insects being pulled into his mouth as he inhaled. She saw that Bilbo was watching as well, although his gaze was one of disgust, rather than amusement. Finally, after a moment, the Hobbit shook his head and shot to his feet, walking almost silently to the ponies.

Asha sighed and took his movement as her cue to drag herself into a sitting position, her eyes trained on the night around her. Nearly all the Dwarves were sleeping, it seemed, and only Bilbo, Gandalf, and Fili and Kili remained awake. Bilbo, she saw, was holding out a shiny apple to his pony.

Asha sighed once more and dragged her pack before her, pulling a small, silver hair brush from the side pocket. The bristles were soft and as she worked her hair from the lop-sided bun atop her head she noted Kili watching her with interest.

Pointedly ignoring the Dwarf, she began to drag the brush through her hair, taking care to remove the knots that had developed during her uneasy rest.

The dreams only served as a reminder of what she was. Her attitude turned sour once more as she remembered Kili's thoughtless comment. The fact that he didn't seem to understand the insult he had handed to her only served to instantly infuriate her.

She was not strange. She was a wolf. She as strong and brave and beautiful and feral and . . . unnatural.

Asha didn't want to agree. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to scream and fight and prove all who had ever told her that her existence was a accident, that her kind was never meant to be, how wrong they truly where.

The words thrown at her from the mouths of villagers began to haunt her.

_Abnormal._

_Bizarre._

_Abnormal._

_Freak._

_Monster._

_Strange._

_Strange._

_Strange._

Cursing low under her breath, she yanked viciously at the brush, only to whimper as it ripped a small section of her hair from her scalp.

"Come here." Looking up, Asha saw Kili motioning to the area before his knees. "At the rate you're going, your not going to have any hair to brush come morning. Come here."

Shaking her head, Asha turned away from the Dwarf, her motions with the brush never ceasing. As she turned to stare at the fire, she realized that Kili was acting as a second shadow, standing behind her with a awful, angry expression on his face. After a moment, he sighed and dropped behind her, his legs crossed and knees pressing against her back. Without warning, he snagged the brush from her hands and pulled it away. Asha stiffened, her shoulders squaring as she prepared to snap at the young prince.

"Your stubborn, you know that?" Kili said lowly, the brush already gliding through her hair easily, the knots melting beneath his hands. They sat in silence for a moment, Asha's body nearly quivering with unspoken violence towards the Dwarf. "I'm don't want you to continue being angry with me." His said, his tone pleading. "I'm sorry I said what I did. It wasn't meant as in insult, but I know that is how you took it. It's true that I find your hair strange. I've never known anyone who wasn't my elder by many, many years to have white hair."

Asha closed her eyes. For a brief moment she wished with all her heart that she did not hear his words for what they were, but she did.

"You've talk about your people, you know." Kili said. Her hair had long since lost it's snarls and tangles, yet he continued to brush it, the bristles gliding over the soft strands. "You never talk about yourself either."

Asha sat quietly, her knees pulled to her chest, her chin resting on her arms. "Kili . . .I-"

"Why is it so dangerous?" Kili interrupted. "Do you think us weak?"

Asha shook her head, not daring herself to speak. Kili didn't understand. He didn't know the half of it. She was awash with multicolored emotion that was guilt and self-loathing and uncertainty and nerves and fear all rolled into one. She didn't know what was worse: not telling him of her past, her present, her race, her wolf, or telling him. She did know one thing: She wouldn't be able to un-tell him once it was said. And so she merely continued to shake her head.

"Don't be stupid." She finally said, her voice low, and filled with pain. "I - I'm scared. I'm scared that once you learn my race, you will hate me for it. It happened every time. No matter how long I'd known the person, once they were shown what I was . . . . I've lost everyone, everyone, and I can't loose anyone else. I won't loose anyone else just because I am a C-" Asha stopped. Not a pause. A full stop, the sort the drew a certain kind of silence to it.

"Asha." Kili said, pulling her back against his chest. "Asha, we don't care what you are. You'll never loose us."

"You can't promise that, Kili." Asha sighed. "I'm sorry that I acted so. I shouldn't have."

Before Kili could respond, a scream sounded through the night air, prompting Bilbo to run back to the group, his eyes wide as he stared at his adoptive sister, who sat back to chest with the Dwarven prince. "What was that?"

"Orcs." Kili said with a small snort.

Thorin, who had been dozing, jerked awake upon hearing the word Orc, just as another scream ripped through the air.

"Orcs?"

Fili nodded, moving to stand near his brother. "Throat-cutters. There’ll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them.”

“They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone’s asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood.” Kili added, casing a shiver to travel along Asha's spine, a quite growl rising from her throat, although no one seemed to take notice.

Bilbo looked away, clearly frightened, while Fili and Kili both looked at one another and began to snicker quietly.

"You think that’s funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?” Thorin all but snarled, his eyes cloudy.

Kili froze, mid laugh. "We didn’t mean anything by it.”

Thorin shook his head. “No, you didn’t. You know nothing of the world.”

Asha watched the dwarf kind closely as he moved to the edge of the cliff, looking out over the valley through half stilted eyes. Balin sighed and walked to Fili and Kili, his expression depressing. “Don’t mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs lead by the most vile of all their race: Azog, the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King. Thrain, Thorin’s father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him: a young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armor rent…wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog, the Defiler, learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call King." Balin finished, his voice thick with emotion.

Thorin turned away from the view beyond the cliff, only to find the entire Company awake and standing in awe, all but Asha, who sat cross legged by the fire, staring deeply into the flames, her eyes filled by tears.

Thorin walked between his brothers in arms and moved toward the fire, eye downcast.

"But the pale orc? What happened to him?"

“He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago.” Thorin bite out, his voice harsh.

Asha seemed to come alive at his words, her eyes snapping up from the fire to stare at the Dwarf King in disbelief. "He didn't."

Thorin looked down at the girl, his eyes narrowed for a moment before he answered. "What did you just say."

Asha seemed to mull over her words for a moment before shaking her head. "He's not dead." She began, her voice quite as he gaze found the fire once more. "I should know. He, and his son, were the filth that felt they owned me while I was a slave. I will never forget him. The white Orc, larger than all the rest, missing half his arm." Tears made her eyes glassy when she turned her gaze back to the fire. "He never died. He's still alive, and he's out there."

"Lass, how did you escape your life in slavery?" Balin asked softly, clearly directing the attention from the white Orc who had sworn to whip out the line of Durin.

"There was a fire. I do not know how it started, but I was able to run. I fell into a river, and it carried me away, far away, to Hobbition, where I meet Bilbo's mother, Belladonna, and Bilbo himself." Her words drifted away then, and she grew silent. The Dwarves waited for a long moment, before realizing that she was not going to continue.

Asha, meanwhile, was lost in memories of pain and blood. She knew the others viewed the Orcs as nothing more than a threatening presence, one they would be forced to confront at some point during their journey, but, to her, they were so much more. They were the harbingers of a doom she did not want to face, that she didn't want to face because of what it would cost her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo all you beautiful bastards; I hope your having a fabulous day. If not, then I hope my story helped out a bit! 
> 
> So, last chappie Asha became upset and angry over something Kili said, even though he meant nothing by it. It reminded her of bad times, so cue angry feelings. In this chapter, well, honestly, I don't like this chapter. I forced the whole thing and seriously thought about going back and changing to story line so that Kili and Asha didn't fight. Asha got angry over something kinda stupid. But they made up! Yay. And Thorin knows about Azgor a lot sooner than in the movies, but will he take what she said to heart? Or is he going to be just as shocked to when he appears at the cliff side? 
> 
> Ehh, so that's all I got for this note. 
> 
> As always feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chappie! Bye Bye!


	12. Chapter Eleven

Asha's patchwork life: Quite days spend traveling, legs growing sore from riding Mora for such extended periods of time, tea of the Company's breath, the unfamiliar landscape of her own neck, the smell of rain in the air, the feel of her wolf clawing at her skin. Two different worlds circling each other, getting closer and closer, knotting together in ways she never would have imagined.

The near-change of the day past still hung over her, the dusky memory of wolf odor caught in her hair on on the tips of her fingers. It would have been easy to give in, her wolf reminded her. Even now, days later, she felt like her body was still fighting it.

She was so tired.

She tried to loose herself in the stories that Bofur told, laying back against Mora's spine, half dozing. Ever since the evening temperatures had begun to pitch sharply downward in the last few day, rain on the horizon, Asha had taken to spending her time atop her wolf napping.

Kili watched her closely as she mumbled lowly in her half-sleep, her hair illuminated like an old painting by a the bright afternoon sun. The way she lay, head lolling to the side, held his attention in the way that the conversations around him did not.

His gaze was so engrossed in the lass who rode near him, trusting that if she fell he would catch her, that he didn't noticed the looming dark clouds over head, a summer storm well on it's way.

~~~

Asha woke just as the first droplets of rain fell from the sky. Half a second later, the sky's opened and the Company scrambled to don their cloaks, while Asha merely sat up, her eyes blurry from sleep. When the first low rumble of thunder rolled across the sky Asha couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. She had always loved the rain, thunder and lighting and all.

The Company, on the other hand, grew annoyed by the rain quickly. They all looked wet, and, if Asha was being honest with herself, miserable.

Her delight of having both the rain and the forest around her had led her to slip away from Mora, a excited sparkle in her eyes. It was neither a cold Spring rain, or the chilled Fall rains, but a warm summer rain that held no chill aside from the occasional breeze. She had disappeared into the trees around them, before any could protest, and Gandlaf had merely laughed. "Asha is a child of the wilds, Master Dwarves. She is more than capable of taking care of herself during a slight summer rain such as this."

And now Asha was returning to the group, her leather traveling bag weighed down with spoils of her exploration.

Glancing through the group, she saw Bofur staring down at his unlit pipe in discouragement and Bilbo staring straight ahead, blinking through the drops. Wandering to her adoptive brothers side, she quickly removed her cloak and threw it over the tiny Hobbit, startling his greatly.

"Asha, you've returned!" Bilbo exclaimed, attempting to removed the cloak from his shoulder. At Asha's heated glare, he ceased his movements and merely pulled the cloak closer.

"I'm only a shadow, dear Bilbo." Asha commented, a sly grin upon her face as she reached into her bag and brought forth a bundle of large, sweet peaches she had picked while exploring through the forest.. "Bombur, catch!" And with that she threw one of the peaches, which the overly large Dwarf caught with ease.

Asha's face was like to split as she walked between the two columns of ponies, holding out a peach for each member of the Company. She received a variety of thanks, and she blushed as she felt fingers brush against hers when she held the peach aloft to Kili.

She had only just bitten into her own peach - her third, yet the others had no need of knowing such - when she heard Dori, clearly over the rain, mutter crossly. ""It's as if the Gods above decided to move the sea to the skies. How much longer shall this continue?

Moving to his side without a sound aside form the slick noise of her bare feet squelching through the mud, Asha smiled. "It is not that bad, is it Dori? The rain in necessary for all things to thrive, even a Dwarf."

Frowning at the lass who seeming at to mind to take protection from the rain, he worried out loud. "You shall catch your death, lass."

Laughing, she all but skipped away, her arms spread wide as she started to spin down the path, her skirts rising up to billow about her hips, mud clearly streaked up to her thighs. "The rain has never bothered me, Master Dwarf." Pausing in her movement, she suddenly held out her boots, which were coated in mud. "My boots on the other hand. . . ."

Shaking his head in her direction, suppressing a smile that the others couldn't manage to hide, he called forward. "Here, Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?"

"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done." Gandalf replied. "If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard."

"Are there any?" Bilbo asked.

"What?" Gandalf queried without turning.

"Other Wizards."

"There are five of us." Gandalf nodded. "The greatest of our order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards. . ." He shook his head. "You know I've quite forgotten their names."

"And who is the fifth?"

"Well, that would be Radagast, the Brown." Gandalf smiled fondly.

Frowning slightly, Bilbo pulled himself more beneath the hood of Asha's cloak. "Is he a great Wizard or is he . . . more like you? Asha!" He yelped,, looking down at the sharp pinch to the thigh he had received. Asha merely shook her head, eyes slightly narrowed.

Gandalf, looking more than slightly offended, replied easily. "I think he's a very great wizard, in his own way. He's a gentle soul who refers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East, and a good thing too, for always Evil will look to find a foothold in this world."

Asha smiled, a fond look in her eyes as she turned her gaze back towards the forest. "I'm going to walk a while yet, Bilbo." She smiled, slipping the pit of her peach into her brothers pocket. "Watch Mora well; the rain affects her more and more as she ages."

And with that, Asha ran, fading from their sight quickly as she disappeared around the bend and into the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo my beautiful bastards, I hope you're having a fabulous day! 
> 
> First off: Seven Days. Eleven Chapters. Twenty-five thousand, one hundred and eight Words. Eighteen Comments. Four Kudos. And ninety-nine Hits! Holy Shit! Thank you everyone for your support during the beginning of this story! I am in so much love with every single one of you, and a huge shout out to OMG_Mangos who has commented on so many chapters and really inspired me to keep writing! Honorable mentions go to idrilcelebrindal as well as 2 guests who left kudos on this story, and to Imreth who's also been leaving awesome comments! Thanks so much, all of you!!!!!. 
> 
> Now, I'm super sorry that this chapter is so short. I worked night shift for the first time ever and, honestly, my brain function is at about 45% right now, so I figured, what the hell, I'm just going to get this scene out of the way. I loved it in the movies and the thought of Asha not giving a fudge about the mud is just too funny to me. Things seemed to have settled down between Kili and Asha, and everything is back to normal, but, never fear, trouble lies ahead in the form of Trolls~! The next chappie is going to be much longer than this one and a bit longer than most that I've been posting, so that's something to look forward to. 
> 
> Feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> As always, I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chappie! Bye Bye!


	13. Chapter Twelve

Asha watched as her friends arrived at a abandoned, skeleton remains of a farm house. They rode to the dilapidated structure, stopping at Thorin's command, though she could tell that Balin and Bifur did not feel it was the best place to stop, even if it was nearly dark. The worry grew when Gandalf mentioned how a family had once lived there.

Asha watched from a short distance, always making sure to stay hidden, as she listed to Gandalf and Thorin argue about staying at the farm, about Throin's hatred for elves, even those who had done him no wrong, and about the stubbornness of Dwarves.

Gandalf, surprisingly, ended the conversation by stomping off angrily, leaving the Company.

Bilbo, of course, took note of his actions and immediately began to panic. "Everything alright? Gandalf? Where are you going?"

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense."

Bilbo seemed mystified. "Who's that."

“Myself, Mr. Baggins! I’ve had enough of Dwarves for one day.” The Wizard shot back, causing Asha to shake her giant head.

Thorin appeared resigned as he motioned toward Bombur. "Come on, Bombur, we're hungry."

Bilbo seemed shocked that the others weren't worried that their Wizard had left them. "Is he coming back?"

No one replied.

~~~

Night had fallen and Asha was watching the group through half stilted eyes. Bombur had finished preparing dinner, soup, and the Dwarves were all eating ravenously. Laying back against a tree, she yawned, her wolf stirring, coiling, twisting and turning, scratching just beneath the surface, to close to make it safe to venture towards the others. Mora slept to the side of the fire, her breaths deep and, when Asha listened closely, filled with pain. She was growing too old for such journeys, and Asha knew that it was begining to wear away at her friend.

"They've been a long time." She heard Bilbo mutter.

"Who?"

"Gandalf. Asha."

Bofur snorted. "He's a Wizard. He does as he chooses. As for the lass, she can take care of herself."

Bilbo seemed shocked. "But's she's not got any weapons! She left her bow with Mora."

"True, but if Gandalf thinks that she can take care of her own, than she can. Here, do us a favor: take this to the lads."

Asha stood as Bilbo dissipated from sight, a strange scent catching her attention. It smelled of rotted meat and thick body order.

Growling low in her throat, Asha began to move. Her wolf was so close, brought closer to the surface by the stench of Trolls.

She had only just ducked under a large bush of bright, fat berries when a Troll crossed her path. His foot missed her by a few mere inches, but she withheld a snarl for she didn't want it to hear her.

A moment past before she emerged from her hiding spot, and followed the Troll's giant footprints until she stood at the edge of a camp. There were three trolls, she realized and her eyes grew wide with worry. She couldn't defeat three trolls. One, perhaps, with no small amount of luck, but three was too many.

It was then that Asha noticed Bilbo, already snatched in one the trolls hand, be violently sneezed on. If she had eaten anything but the peaches during the afternoon hours while it still rained, she might have gagged. As it was, she swallowed reflexively as she watched the Troll panic from what he assumed to have fallen out of his nose.

"What is it?" One of the others asked.

"I don't know but I don't like the way it wiggles around!" The one holding the Hobbit answered and Asha watched as he dropped Bilbo on the ground, threatening him with his knife. "What are you then? An over sized squirrel?"

"I'm a burglar… uh, hobbit!" Bilbo stammered and Asha would have shaken her head if she had not seen the seriousness of the situation..

"A burglarhobbit?" Tom asked confused.

"Can we cook him?" Seemed to be the more important question at the moment, being asked by the cook.

"We can try!" The one who couldn't seem to stop sneezing replied making a grab for Bilbo but the hobbit was faster than they knew and it took nearly three minutes for the trolls to finally catch him.

"Gotcha!" grinned the cook, holding the hobbit tight in one hand, "Are there anymore of you little fellas hiding where you shouldn't?"

"No!" Bilbo quickly shouted but the trolls were not so easily fooled.

"He's lying! Hold his toes over the fire, make him squeal!" One suggested angrily but before they could do any such thing, Asha saw a familiar brunette head of hair emerge from the bushes and stabbing one of the trolls in the foot.

"Drop him!" Kili yelled.

"You what?"

"I said… drop him." He repeated and swung his sword in one hand, grinning enchantingly.

The Troll stared down at the Dwarf for a moment, before grinning, throwing the hobbit so that they both landed on the ground with a heavy thud. At that moment the others entered the camp, arms raised and with a fierce battle cry on the lips.

The Company kept up the frenzy of their attack until the trolls managed to get a hold of Bilbo, despite their best efforts.

"Drop your arms, or we'll rip his off."

They all dropped their arms.

Asha whimpered lightly as she watched her companions, her friends, get stuffed into filthy sacks.

Asha decided she didn't like watching her friend stuffed in a sack, but she liked the sight of her friends being roasted on a spit even less.

She could feel a substantial amount of the heat from the large bonfire the trolls had going from where she was now lying hidden some eight or nine yards away, and she couldn't imagine how hot it felt from right above it.

The flames kept licking at the Dwarves exposed skin, singeing their long johns in places, and Asha was sure she could see the ends of Bofur's and Fili's mustaches and Dwalin's, Dori's, Ori's, Nori's, and Bifur's beards singeing from the fire.

Asha was unsure of what do do, when, finally, she landed upon a plan. Sneaking along the edge of camp, she carefully moved so that she was standing behind the three trolls, all of whom were watching their 'dinner' in glee. Her wolf strained to be free.

Then she threw her head back and allowed a long, mournful howl to escape her throat - a howl that echoed through the forest like a pack of wolves, instead of one lonely Changling to scared to reveal her true form to her friends. The noise shocked her for a moment, and she realized just how close her wolf was to breaking free. Mora answered her call, rushing through the forest, alerted to the danger. 

The trolls heard the sudden howl, but they could not place where its origin was since the echo seemed to surround them. It took only a moment before there was a second howl and the Trolls began to whimper in fear.

"What was that?" Kili heard one of the trolls ask.

"It sounds like a wee wolf." Another answered.

Then, there was a strange rustling to the trolls left, and just seconds later to their right.

"Were is it? I can't see a thing!" Bert called out nervously, trying to spy into the bushes.

"Don't worry 'bout that, 'tis just a wee wolf. You could squash it with your little toe! Let's get to business with cooking these dwarfs!" William replied, turning the ones of their company who were tied on a spit over the fire.

"Oh, don't bother cooking 'em! Let's just sit on 'em and squash 'em into jelly!" The third Troll suggested.

"They should be sauteed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage." The cook answered and looked hungrily at the Dwarves.

Kili could only gulp, it was frustrating not being able to defend himself against the cursed trolls before him and, not for the first time, he wondered where Asha was. Had she been caught? Was her body already laying among the piles of bones that littered the ground through out the Trolls camp site? Or had she escaped? Was she hiding? Where was she?

"Never mind the seasoning, we ain't got all night! Dawn ain't far away, let's get a move on! I don't fancy been turned to stone." William said and just in that moment, there was a silent rustling near the Dwarves. Kili heard it and looked up questioningly. Obviously, he hadn't been the only one who had heard the noise; his uncle was peeking into the darkness of the woods with a stern expression.

"No, wait! You are making a terrible mistake!" The hobbit suddenly cried out and drew the attention of Thorin and Kili back to their situation.

"You can't reason with them." Dori called out. "They're half-wits!"

"Half-wits? What does that make us?" Bofur yelled back from his spot on the spit. Obviously, he was still able to make jokes, even when he was being roasted over an open fire.

Bilbo now got up, hopping a few centimeters towards the trolls in his sack. "I meant with the . . . uh, with the . . . the seasoning!" he stuttered, gaining the attention of the trolls now.

"What about the seasoning?" Bert asked.

"Well, have you smelt them? You're gonna need something stronger than sage before you plate this lot up!" The hobbit improvised and immediately got angry mumbles from the Dwarves as an answer.

Asha realized what he was doing and smiled from her hiding spot.

"What do you know about cooking Dwarf?" William asked but was cut off by Bert.

"Shut up, and let the...uh, flurgerburbur-hobbit talk." He said angrily.

"Th . . . the-the secret to cooking Dwarf, is um..." Bilbo seemed to have some trouble making something convincing up, causing Asha to howl again, gaining the trolls attention for a moment.

"Yes? Come on."

"It's, uh . . ."

"Tell us the secret!" Bert yelled, impatiently.

"Ye-yes, I'm telling you. The secret is . . . to . . . skin them first!"

Kili couldn't believe what he was hearing from that little man. Angrily, he yelled and swore at the hobbit and he was not the only one. The others joined in, releasing their anger verbally on Bilbo who could only roll his eyes.

Asha wanted nothing more than to curse the Hobbit for his choice of words, but he held the attention of the trolls long enough for her to sneak up to the pile of Dwarves. Silently, she made her way through the leaves towards them but couldn't avoid a little rustling from time to time.

When she was finally at the edge of the shadows, she stopped for a moment to check the situation. Thorin was the only Dwarf who was lying in a way that she could reach him, so she ducked towards him. He didn't realize she was near him until she got up from her position. She saw him twitch a bit before he turned his head and saw her. Mora, still hidden within the trees, continued to howl. 

Asha shot a quick glance to the hobbit that was now talking about Bombur being infected. He was obviously trying to buy them time. She wrinkled her nose a bit when he claimed that, in fact, all of them were infested with parasites. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice call out from beneath the others.

"We don't have parasites! You have parasites!" Kili shouted at Bilbo.

Asha all but snarled in frustrated. Couldn't he understand what the hobbit was trying to do?

Thorin looked at her for a moment, then to the hobbit and then he suddenly kicked Kili in the back to shut him up. Asha smiled at the king, but stopped as she bent forward and buried her fingers into Throin's bag, pulling with all her strength. The cloth was strong and it didn't want to give way, so she grumbled lowly before placing her feet against Throin's torso, shooting him a apologetic glance as she did, hoping to gain some amount of counter balance.

The Dwarf only looked at her surprised, throwing glances towards the trolls from time to time.

Suddenly, two things happened at once. The first one being that the sack gave way and tore apart, leaving a surprised Thorin and Asha, who had not really believed that this would actually work, and second - The Troll who seemed to be the worst of the lot yelled at Bilbo for taking them for fools and tried to grab him.

Asha reacted out of instinct and launched herself in front of the hobbit with one big leap. A threatening snarl escaped her mouth and she aggressively bit the hand that tried to grab hold onto the Hobbit. Asha's mouth filled with the taste of dirt and dead things and she felt bile rise in her throat as she gagged loudly.

She quickly let go before the Troll could dash her away. The Troll yanked back his hand with a pain filled yelp. Mora rushed from the trees then, and Asha watched in horror as a large hand descended from above. Mora yelped as the hand connected with her roughly, sending her flying to a bolder. The resounding crack that sounded through the air filled Asha with dread. 

"MORA!" 

"The dawn will take you all!" a voice suddenly called out from a cliff behind and Asha turned her gaze from her wolf, only to find Gandalf standing atop the cliff a dangerous look in his eyes.  

"Who's that?"

"No idea"

"Can we eat him, too?"

Suddenly, Gandalf slammed his staff into the cliff he stood upon, splitting it in two, allowing the rising sun's light to wash through the clearing.

Ashlynn watched the scene unfolding before her in fascination. The Troll's roared, their strangely colored skin growing grey as they began to harden. Within moments the only thing that remained of the Trolls was three statues. She had never seen anything like this but those trolls didn't deserve different, she thought, while all the Dwarves laughed in joy.

A thin  whine broke the joyful exclamations of the Dwarves, though, and they turned to find Asha kneeling before Mora, tears washing down her cheeks. Mora was hurt. Mora was very hurt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo you beautiful bastards; I hope your having a great day and welcome back to another Chappie of Dawn Shadows. 
> 
> So, this chapter was a bit longer than the last, hmmm? Also: TROLLS AHAHAHAHA. Those Trolls though. Something big is going to happen in the next chappie. Two big things really. So hold ya bottoms and prepare yourselves for the feels. 
> 
> If you would like to know what Asha's howl would sound like go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwlzXElOid0  
> If anyone doesn't know, that's Spice and Wolf and I own nothing. It's was just the best howl I could find. 
> 
> As always feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next Chappie! Bye Bye!


	14. Chapter Thirteen

As Gandalf cut the ropes that bound the Dwarves to the spit where they still hovered above the fire, Asha sat close to her wolf, eyes wide and tears falling like water from the falls of the mountains.

"Where did you go, if I may ask?" Asha heard Thorin ask.

"To look ahead." The Wizard answered nonchalantly.

"What brought you back?"

"A call for help caused me to look back." Gandlaf said, smiling sadly towards Asha, who had buried her face into Mora's fur, sobbing openly now, and he knew that the wolf had taken her last breath. "It seems that I was not quick enough for all the Company, though."

The Dwarves moved forward then, each starting down at the cooling body of the wolf. For a brief moment, time stood still. Not really still. It sort of danced and shimmered in place, the lights flickering and dimming before reappearing before Asha's eyes. If Mora's death had been a real thing, it would have been a butterfly, flapping and fluttering towards the sun.

Mora was dead. Or at least close, because she was jerking. But all Asha could see was the small wolf pup she had found in the forest, so many years ago.

Asha was going to throw up.

She was ice.

"We need to move her." A males voice was piercingly loud in the silence of her mind. "We should move her away from the body."

Voices tore into her head, too loud and too many. She sensed movement all around her, their bodies and her skin whirling and spinning, but deep inside her, there was a part that held completely still.

Kili. She held on to that name. If she kept the names close to her, she knew that she would survive the aching in her heart.

Kili. Fili. Oin. Gloin. Balin. Dwalin. Dori. Nori. Ori. Bifur. Bofur. Bombur. Thorin. Gandalf. Mora.

She was shaking, shaking; her skin was peeling away, her bones shifting beneath the muscle.

Kili. Fili. Oin. Gloin. Balin. Dwalin. Dori. Nori. Ori. Bifur. Bofur. Bombur. Thorin. Gandalf. Mora.

And then she was a light, light wolf with fur the color of milk.

The Dwarves stood back in shock as the wolf slipped from Asha's clothing, eyes wide for a moment before they rushed for their weapons. The wolf did not back away, neither did she move to attack, although she glanced at the Dwarves with pain filled eyes.

"Wait! Wait!" Bilbo cried out suddenly, rushing to the wolf's side. "Can't you see? Look at her eyes!"

The Dwarves paused for a moment, staring hard at the wolf.

Kili was the first to understand.

"Asha." His voice was horse. Despite the fact he had watched the shift with his own eyes, he could not believe his words, even as she spoke them.

The wolf perked up at his voice, before she bounded forward, nearly causing the Dwarf to fall as she began to nuzzle into his chest, a steady whine sounding from her chest.

"Asha?" Thorin asked, his voice hard.

Gandalf smiled. "Yes, although she did not want to alarm you with the knowledge of her race, I fear that she may have little choice now. The stress from the attack of Trolls was too much for her to handle, you see. Nasty business. Still, they are all in one piece."

Ashlynn moved away from Kili then, traveling to each Dwarf and looking him over to make sure they were truly alright. She paused at several, whining slightly when the stared up at her in shock, before moving to the next.

"That wolf is Ashlynn?" Thorin demanded.

The great wolf ignored his words and wandered back to her friend. Her ears were low, her eyes shadowed, her tail slumped low between her legs. She nosed against the dark wolf for a moment, a low whine escaping her throat as she attempted to wake her friend. When a moment past, and the wolf did not stir, a sorrowful, mournful howl escaping her throat.

The Dwarves knew, in that moment, that they had never seen something in their lives that was quite so sad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo all my beautiful bastards, I'm so glade to see you all again and I hope your having a great day! 
> 
> Please don't hate me because this is so short. I was going to make it longer, but if I had, it would have run into the next chapter and that would have made it insanely long. So it's just really, really short. 
> 
> I did warn you last chapter that two big things were going to go down this chapter. Mora, unfortunately, has not made it, and Asha had little time to mourn her before she was forced into motion once again. Radagast seems to think that the Dwarves have not pushed her away, nor that they will, but Asha knows that she smells the fear on them. Will they confront her? Will she confront them? 
> 
> As always, feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> That's all for now, it was great talking with you all. I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chappie! Bye Bye!


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Nearly an hour had past since she had shifted, and the Dwarves were only just beginning to understand what she truly was.

"She's been a wolf this whole time?" Kili asked, watching as she sighed deeply next to the body of Mora. The Dwarves had moved forward to bury the body some time ago, but Asha had growled lowly, her eyes narrowed, and they had backed away quickly. The only Dwarf she allowed by her side was Bilbo, who said silently, a hand resting upon her muzzle.

"For the last time, Master Dwarf, yes." Gandalf muttered, clearly growing annoyed.

Asha choice to ignore the whispered conversation and instead rose to her feet, following after the others, who claimed to have found a cave. Bilbo was clearly startled by her sudden movement, but he merely watched her with a heavy heart as she walked away.

The troll hoard smelled worse than the trolls had. Asha wandered in and began to look at all that was strewn throughout the cave, and found that she was not impressed. They had killed her friend, for this? Cobwebs and rusted weapons. Dirt and filth and decay.

Asha did find, however, that she was more than a little disturbed by the way the Dwarves zeroed in on the gold. There were three who buried the chest, and they were very careful about it and particular about what they put it it.

Asha felt as if their reaction to the troll hoard was an ill omen of things to come.

And so she stood outside the cave with the majority of the Company while Thorin found Orcrist, and Gandalf handed Bilbo a small sword - nothing more than a hand dagger it seemed, but it was just the right height for the small Hobbit.

She watched the Dwarves.

She was a ghost in the trees, silent, still, cold. She was winter embodied, with snow pale fur and eyes the color of ice, the frigid wind given physical form. She stood near the edge of the woods, where the trees began to thin, and scented the air. The bit of tree sap, the musk of wolf, the sweetness of Bilbo that reminded her faintly of bread. There was another scent, much smoother than all the rest, and Asha knew that it came from Kili: Wonder.

Asha felt her head snap forward then, her eyes wide as she listened to something large, something with many legs rushing through the forest. A low growl alerted the others and they peered into the trees, eyes wide.

Bilbo looked terrified. "Gandalf -"

Gandalf ignored the Hobbit and swept him to the side. "Stay together! Hurry now. Arm yourselves!"

And they did. Kili preparing his bow in one swift motion while he quickly walked to his brother, who had already drawn each of his twin blades.

Bilbo stood before them, shielded by Asha, who seemed to be swathed in shadows, positioned as she was between the Dwarves and the approaching unknown.

"Thieves!" A strong male voice suddenly called out from the woods. "Fire! Murder!" Yelling, the man dashed through the bushes and, only on second glance, did the Dwarves realized that the man was standing on a huge sleigh that was being pulled by rabbits.

"Radagast!" Gandalf called out, relieved, before anyone would attack the brown Wizard. "This, my friends, is Radagast, the Brown."

Kili remembered Gandalf talking about that Wizard, as he put his bow away. Glancing at Asha, he noted that the shadowed appearance of her body had faded, and he realized, with a start, that she had been ready to attack, to protect her friends. He caught her eye then, and she smiled, although to the Dwarf it seemed more a snarl than a smile.

"What on earth are you doing here?" Asked Gandalf skeptically, his eyes trained on his friend closely.

"I've been looking for you, Gandalf." Came the hurried reply, his voice weak and wavering. "Something's wrong. Something's . . . terribly . . . wrong."

"Yes?"

They all waited for an answer but Radagast suddenly seemed confused. "Oh!" he mumbled. "Oh . . . I had a thought . . . but now I've lost it." Gandalf only watched his old friend with increasing incomprehension. "It was right there . . . on the tip of my tongue!"

And what happened next, Kili would always remember as something both unexpected and most disgusting. "Oh, wait." Radagast said. "It wasn't a thought at all. It was just a silly little . . . " And with that he stuck out his tongue and pulled an insect out of his mouth. " . . . stick insect. Huh."

Kili exchanged a look with his brother who seemed just as taken a back as him.

"If that's what comes out of his mouth, I don't want to know what else he has stuck up in there." Fili mumbled and Kili couldn't hold back a grin. They were both rewarded with a stern glare from their uncle who had obviously heard them.

Then, Radagast's gaze fell upon the tiny woman standing calmly in their midst and his eyes grew wide. Even wider than they already were. "Gandalf!" he said urgently, not looking away from Asha. "The wolf pup has reappeared!"

The grey Wizard only nodded. "Yes, yes, I am aware."

Asha darted forward then, tail wagging swiftly as she threw herself at the Wizard, nuzzling into his chest for a moment before pulling away.

Kili watched as the Wizard smiled. "Most fascinating." Radagast murmured and Kili glanced at his brother questioningly. "It seems that, despite their fear, they have yet to push her away."

"Why would we?" Kili asked, frowning. Radagast merely tilted his head to the side, eyes locking with Asha's who backed away towards Kili.

"Most fascinating, indeed . . . I wonder if . . ." Gandalf clearing his throat interrupted the Wizard. Kili didn't get an answer from him. Instead, Radagast turned around and motioned Gandalf to follow him and led him a few meters away from the company to discuss something in private.

Asha didn't know what Radagast had found so fascinating. Why would her friendship with the Dwarf make the Wizard speechless? Of course, Radagast was more than an unusual Wizard, so she quickly shrugged it off.

She grumbled a bit and caught an asking look from Kili but he didn't say anything and so she turned around to pay some attention to those rabbits that were still tied to the sleigh.

She had seen them before and they had fascinated her from the beginning. She'd occasionally seen Radagast dashing through the woods with their aid and she was stunned how fast the rabbits truly were. She knew that she could outrun almost anything presented to her should the occasion call for it but these animals were something else entirely.

They shuffled uncomfortably when she got close to them.

"Don't scare them away, Asha." She heard Bofur chuckle to her right. He was inspecting the rabbits as well and she smiled wolfishly at him as an answer but didn't go any closer. She knew that she smelled of wolf, and didn't want to upset them further.

Suddenly, she heard a growl coming from further away. It had been faint but it had definitely been there. Then, there was another one.

"Was that a wolf?" She heard Bilbo ask and she felt he was looking at her.

She snarled lowly, looking through the trees, clearly alarmed, some of the Dwarves were looking at her now; others were peeking into the bushes.

"Wolf? No… That is not a wolf" Bofur answered, as Asha growled low in her throat. She knew exactly what that was. And it was with absolute certainty not a shy, timid wolf.

Then, the growl was clear and loud enough for everyone to hear. Turning on her heel she leaped at the massive Warg running down the little hill where they were standing. Without hesitation, she fell onto the Warg, cutting it off before it could get to Thorin and Dwalin, who had obviously been the goal.

The Warg howled and tried to get its teeth into her but she was faster, ducking to the right so that it missed her and exposed its throat all at once. She didn't wait and moved forward, piling her teeth into the Warg's flesh with absolute precision. It was dead within seconds.

Suddenly, there was another growl coming from the other side of the clearing and she could only turn around in time to see another Warg charging towards their leader from behind. But before it reached him, an arrow buried itself in its head and as it fell down, Dwalin slashed it with his ax.

Asha watched as Thorin stared at her for a short moment before looking down to the creature at his feet.

"Warg-scouts." He said. "Which means an orc pack is not far behind."

"O - orc pack?" Bilbo stuttered disbelievingly.

Asha could only snarl angrily, stalking close to the youngest of the group, her hackles raised, and sharp teeth showing.

She only listened with half an ear to what Gandalf said to Thorin then, still concentrating on her surroundings to make sure there was no more Warg in immediate proximity. It was only the Wizard's last words that sunk into her consciousness like a burning iron. Words that triggered both anger and fear in her heart.

"You are being hunted."

The chorus of more howls set them all even more on edge, if that was possible.

Then Radagast took off, to serve as a distraction, and the Company ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo my beautiful bastards. I hope your having a great day and I thought that I'd keep this short.
> 
> The Dwarves don't seem overly bothered by the fact that their friend turns into a large, white wolf, but the the big chase scene is coming up next chappie, with a bit of emotion term-oil and the beginnings of the fall out due to Asha's big reveal of what she is. 
> 
> Feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> As always, I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chappie! Bye Bye!


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Asha ran just slow enough that she stayed near the Dwarves, occasionally nudging someone's arm, mainly Ori's or Oin's, urging them to run faster if they fell a bit behind, or snatch at their packs when they would run into the sights of the Orcs. She could see Dwalin picking up her adoptive brother and flinging him further in front when he started to slow. She knew that it was in an effort to prevent the short legged Hobbit from being left behind, and Asha curved, causing her brother to land upon her back. Bilbo was smart, and quickly dug his hands into her fur, holding on as tightly as possible.

They hid behind a great boulder, some running into each other, or falling over their own feet as they tried to stop, only to be hauled back up by another one of their companions. They waited for Gandalf's signal, than ran some more. This pattern continued for what seemed like ages until, with a snarl, Asha realized they were standing under a rock where a Warg, and it's rider, were perched.

Thorin looked and listened, noting that no other Wargs seemed to be nearby, then he nodded at Kili to attack. He quickly notched an arrow to his bow, not yet pulling the string taut, waiting for the right moment to strike. Kili simply listened, focused on the task at hand, though he spared a look to give Asha an encouraging smile when he felt her worried gaze on his person.

Kili moved then, having not heard their target shift for a long moment, and moved out from the shadow of the boulder, pulled his bow taught, took aim, and shot his arrows, all in the blink of an eye.

Kili's arrow pierced the warg's eye, killing it in one shot as the head and shaft of the arrow disappeared deeper into the socket, while Asha fell onto the rider, attacking quickly and ripping it's throat, knowing that they rest would be alerted if it made so much as a single scream.

The Company sighed their relief as they ran to a different boulder, after Bifur stabbed both the warg and the Orc with his boar spear for good measure, the Orc pack still unaware of their location, or the quiet death of their fellow, thanks to Asha and Kili's effective tag-team.

They saw Gandalf duck into a hole between two boulders and they all followed, like little ducklings following their mama, not expecting the almost sheer twenty foot drop.

They fell down the steep slope into the little cave, landing on each other with a smacking sound and no small amount of muttered curses, especially from the injured Dwarves, making a pile very reminiscent of the one that fell through Bilbo's door.

Asha yelped as she fell down the hole, Bilbo tumbling from her back as she flipped, head over heels, into the pile below, a resounding crack echoing through the cave as her head stuck a sharply pointed rock.

The Dwarves quickly moved to their feet, disentangling themselves from the mass of limbs, grumbling quietly as they listened to see if they were pursued.

Dwalin hauled Bilbo out of the pile and set the little man on his feet, before he turned to the wolf, surprised to see that she was not already waiting for them near the small tunnel at the end of the even smaller cave. Her limbs twitched as she struggled, blood pouring from a long cut along her skull that ran the length of her cheek and forehead, curving along her eye socket. The blood stained her snow white fur ruby, and faintly turned his stomach as she tired to move to her feet. A low whine escaped her lips, drawing the attention of the others as she suddenly shifted.

The blood was even more shocking to see on the lass as a human. She appeared no more than a child, yet the curves of her body told otherwise, as her limbs jerked strangely as she fought to regain her feet.

Kili cursed then, and moved forward, drawing his cloak from his shoulders before laying it over Asha, effectively covering her nudity. Without a second though, Kili took Asha into his arms, lightly tapping his forehead to hers, wary of the fact her bones were not as strong as a Dwarves.

"Well, don't go to sleep now, wolf." Kili said cheerfully, his voice a shade to high as he watched her eyes flutter closed. "You'll miss all the fun."

Blearily, Asha looked up to Kili, vaguely aware that she was being carried. She knew to touch foreheads with someone was a public sign of affection, of your familiar relationship with that person, and when Dwarves were loath to admit they were fond of a member of another race, it meant that Kili saw Asha much like a younger sister and he did not care who knew it, though, she noticed the Company could only smile sadly and approve of the public declaration of affection. It never cross her mind that the display might have meant something more.

The Dwarves were brought back to themselves at the call of a horn, and the unceremonious dumping of an Orc corpse down their hidden hole. At the sight of the Orc, Asha tensed in Kili's arms, a low growl escaping her throat, although it reminded him more of a whine than a show of anger.

"You got to stay awake, Asha." Kili said softly, jostling her softly in his arms, hoping that the movement would jolt her back to reality as her eyes began to drift closed once again.

Thorin cursed then. "Elves." He said, pulling an arrow embedded in the flesh of the lifeless Orc and examined the silver metal tip with the designs on it.

"We need to go. Quickly." Gandalf's statement was accompanied by Dwalin's cautious wandering down the little passage they could all see.

"This goes somewhere, tho' I ca' na' see where. Do we follow i'?"

"O' course we do!" Bofur started pushing his fellow Dwarves towards the passage, everyone starting to move, hurriedly, because they did not fancy having another Orc, or an elf for that matter, dropping in on them, especially in such a compact space; they were careful, though, of Asha, as her head began to hang limply from her neck, rolling as Kili walked.

Cursing, Kili stopped for a moment, shifting the girl in his arms so that her head rested against his shoulder, hopefully making it more comfortable for her.

The tunnel led on for nearly an hour before opening suddenly to a ledge over looking the Last Homely House and the beauty of the Valley of Imaldris.

Cursing, the Dwarves knew that they had little choice in the matter and quickly followed after Gandalf, many throwing worried looks over their shoulder to Asha, who lay limp and pale in Kili's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo all my beautiful bastards! I hope you having a great day and lets jump right in it shall we? 
> 
> The next few Chappies are going to be a bit longer, and not quite so rushed, so that's something to look forward to. These last few chappies have just rushed by and taken on a life of their own. I meant for this one to be over half as long as it ended up being, but I suppose that just happens sometimes. 
> 
> Feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> As always, I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chappie! Bye Bye!
> 
> P.S. - For anyone curious, Asha stand about five foot tall as a wolf, plenty big enough for Bilbo to ride her. As a side note, her piercings to not fall out or disappear during her shift. Their still there, but much harder to notice under all her fur!


	17. Chapter Sixteen

The Company looked all about the Elven platform - some in awe, others in disgust - but none could deny that it was beautifully made. It gave an excellent view out of the valley, over a lush forest, and it provided a close look at a tall, beautiful waterfalls that fell from high above. The air smelled sweet and clean.

Their attention was diverted when an Elf walked down the stairs and started talking to Gandalf, or Mithrandir, as they call him, in Sindarin.

Kili found that he could not focus. Instead, his attention kept turning to the lass in his arms, surprisingly light for all the toned muscle though out her body. The bloody gash that was still dripping down her face and into her hair, staining it red, was worrisome as well.

He couldn't help but notice, though, the soft curves the pressed against his chest, or the many tattoos that were scattered about her skin. He hadn't looked closely but he had saw one beneath her round, full breasts, one on either hip, and another on the back. Two on the back of either thigh, and one at her ankle.

Her body, also, seemed to be devoid of all hair below the neck, so unlike the Dwarven women he had known. Not that he had known many during his brief time as an adult.

Gandalf and Elf's conversation ended just as the sound of pounding hooves could be heard in the distance.

Kili centered himself in the protective mass the Dwarves were forming as Bofur pushed Bilbo to do the same. The Dwarves drew their weapons, prepared to fight, while Bilbo stared all around, clearly confused and scared. The Elves moved to surround the Dwarves, forming a slightly menacing wall.

The lead elf, Lord Elrond no doubt, dismounted near Gandalf and proceeded to speak with him in Sindarin, holding up an Orcish sword.

The Company continued to look at the Elves suspiciously, grumbling to their own of Elves who were not to be trusted, when Lord Elrond approached them and spoke in Sindarin to Thorin, who was in the front of their combat ball of Dwarf and weapons.

Kili payed no mind as the Lordly Elf stepped forward, but looked up as Gloin moved forward, a frown upon his face. "What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?"

The Dwarves grew agitated at the thought and griped their weapons uneasily, causing Gandalf sighed, exasperated. "No, Master Gloin, he is offering you food, and a healer for Asha."

The Dwarves quickly discussed the issue among themselves, before Gloin stepped forward, slightly shame-faced. "Ah well, in that case, lead on."

~~~

_Asha felt as though she was flying and drowning at the same time._

_It was a horrible feeling._

_It made her sick and she only wanted it to stop._

_Images_ _played through her head again and again: Mora; Rattling breaths; Trolls; Pain; Blood._

_And that is when she heard it._

_A familiar voice._

_One that sent warmth through her body and allowed her to still the rabbit like thumping of her beating heart._

_Kili._

~~~

Kili left the Company once their megar dinner of greens and leafy foods was finished and, quite by accident, he found himself walked toward the healing chambers. While the others cheerfully had a second dinner with their own food and meats, he couldn't think of chatting with them now. He had eaten little during the dinner provided by the Elves, but he found that he didn't feel hungry. He only wanted to be with Asha and see that she would well again.

As he entered the healing chambers, he saw that only two elves stood watch, both of whom smiled slightly at the Dwarf as he hurried to the Changelings side. It was dark inside and he could only see Asha's silhouette laying quite still on one of the many soft down beds.

He hurried towards the bed and sighed deeply when he saw his friend breathing evenly. Her wounds seemed to have healed rather quickly, he observed happily, and the one wide open gash was now a little more than a silver scar.

Silently, he searched for something to sit apon and after a few moments, he found a chair and dragged it t o the side of the bed. He let himself fall into the chair heavily, his muscles weary. Kili allowed his gaze to wander the length of the small lass's body. She had been wounded far worse than any of the Company had realized. A deep slash, just above her left hip. A cut along the inside of her arm. Scratches and scraps along the entire right side of her body. A deep gash along her back. The wound to her head, which already seemed to have healed.

She was resting peacefully though, her eyes closed and color slowly returning to her otherwise pale skin. As much color as she normally had, that is.  
  
He leaned forward with a silent sigh.

"Don't scare me like that again, do you hear me?" He said to the sleeping lass. "I couldn't bare the thought of loosing you, and I'm sure the other's couldn't as well. Don't . . . Don't make us worry like that again."

Asha whimpered suddenly, and Kili twitched. He looked at her but her eyes were still closed. Tentatively, she reached out to stroke her hair, much as he had wanted to since the night he had brushed it after their one and only argument.

"I don't know what haunts you, but you're safe here, Asha. You're alive and you're safe. With me." He said, caressing her hair tenderly. There was still blood matted through the white strands.

She didn't really react to him, if only she relaxed a bit, but Kili noticed and smiled. He stayed with her for the evening. carefully running his hands through her hair before, finally, he fell asleep beside the bed.

~~~

Asha woke slowly, her eyes opening to the dim light of dawn. Looking to her left, where she felt a strange weight at her side, she smiled. He was there. Kili. Fast asleep on a chair beside the bed she was laying on, his out stretched to her side, resting lightly against her ribs, which she saw was covered by a thin, light colored tunic.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open loudly and Asha looked up to see Thorin, closely followed by the others, enter the room.

A bright smile broke out across the Dwarves faces when they saw her awake, and staring across the room with a bright smile.

"By my beard, we thought you might never wake." Dwalin smiled, quickly moving to the bed side, an eyebrow raised when he noticed Kili's hand resting just below her breast. Asha merely shrugged in return.

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked, her voice thick from sleep.

"Only a day and night." Balin responded. We were just coming to fetch the lad as to break our fast. Would you like to join us?"

"Do you still want me to?" Asha wondered out loud, pulling herself into a sitting position, ignoring the strange stares she revived. "Even now, after inviting me to dine with you, you all stare at me as if I'm a monster. You've been doing it since I shifted after Mora's death and if you think that I'll allow you to treat me badly because you learned of my nature, you're wrong! I'm still myself, still Asha, and I won't loose my friends just because you suddenly think that I'm a monster!" Thumping her fist to her thigh, Asha looked at the Dwarves before her with tear filled eyes.

They stood silently for a moment, knowing Dori would answer the question.

"Asha, dear, the fact that you become a wolf, while shocking, has nothing to do with our odd behavior." Dori's voice rose in outrage at the inappropriateness of their situation. "We are, in fact, upset because since your shift we've seen more of your skin than any of us would like to admit. Not to mention the fact that you lay before us now, in nothing more than bandages to hide your . . . chest . . . among other things!"

Asha's eyebrows rose steadily higher during Dori's rant, while the rest of the Dwarves nodded. "But it is not different that when you caught sight of me some odd months ago bathing in the river."

"IT IS DIFFERENT!" Dori immediately yelled turning bright red.

Asha seemed shocked for a moment, her expression open and filled with amazement, before she began to laugh. Holding her ribs, Asha continued to laugh, unable to help herself.

Dori looked affronted at her giggles.

"Well, what's so funny then, lass?" Nori asked, looking more than a little amused by her snorts and giggles, than offended, while Fili, Kili and Ori all looked confused, although Asha remembered that Kili always appeared confused first after awakening.

"I'm sorry; I'm sorry. I just find the idea of you lot being embarrassed for being around me because I'm not fully dressed, and not because I turn into a five foot tall wolf, ridiculous, especially considering how immodest you have all been during our few opportunities to bathe. You lot wander around shiftless with only your trousers on when we stop to wash ourselves and our clothes. Do you remember how scandalized Bilbo was when you all did that the first time?"

They all simultaneously laughed and blushed at that, nodding in acknowledgment to the truth in her words.

"So why care now?"

"Well, while you are right that most Dwarves are not modest about their bodies the vast majority of the time, it is still considered inappropriate to be in in the presence of a lady who is so vastly under dressed, unless, of course, we are swimming." Balin's explanation made sense, but Asha still found the situation ridiculous.

"Then pretend that we are swimming." Asha shot back, the grin still on her face, but when the group looked at her darkly, Asha huffed. "I'll not be able to wear normal clothes for a day or so yet, Master Dwarves, so it may be best to set aside your modesty for now."

The group couldn't help but smile at her easy words, but paused when she turned to look at them sharply. "Do you want me to leave?" She asked, her voice small and filled with pain. "Now that you know what I am, I doubt that you wish to continue traveling with a monster." Asha stared hard at her hands, willing herself not to cry.

The Dwarves, in turn, seemed shocked by her statement and turned to Thorin, who was gazing at her curiously. "Why would we no longer want you to travel with us?"

Asha looked up, and they were all shocked to see tears falling down her cheeks. "Because of what I am. We're not natural! Everyone things so, even other Shifters, because our bloodline has been tainted from others, they say. I'm a monster. I turn into a monster." Looking down, she seemed to have run out of energy for her rant. "Everyone says so. Everyone always leaves me once they find out."

Bilbo was the first to move, walking towards Asha slowly, his hands help forward. "Asha, no matter weather you turn into a wolf, or horse, or bird, or a pig we would all feel about you just in the same manner. You said it yourself - it's still you. You're just a lot more hairy."

The Dwarves came forward, all nodding their acceptance of Bilbo's words, all touching her either on her arms or shoulders. Kili wound his fingers through her hair, making her smile and lean into his touch.

"Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo all my beautiful bastards! I hope you're having a great day! 
> 
> Now, this Chappie was kind of slow, and didn't really have much going on, but the Dwarves are tots chill with the fact that Asha is a wolf some of the time. Way chiller than they probably would have been, but I thought, in her case, that since she's already gained their trust, and she protected them while in that form, they would be a lot chiller than normal. 
> 
> Now, much Kili and Asha fluff, even though Asha isn't awear of it. Next chappie is going to be very lively and somewhat serious, but not too much, mind you. 
> 
> Feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> As always, I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chappie! Bye Bye!


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Asha was seated at the end of the table, between Kili and Fili, with the other's huddled all around, the expressions bright as they watched her stare about herself in amazement. They all sat cross legged on little cushions on the ground at short legged tables, though Asha's legs were extended under the table due to the fact she found the position an uncomfortable way to sit.

She was self conscious due to the clothing that had been given to her. The trousers were thin, and didn't reach past her finger tips when she put her hands towards her knees, exposing much of her legs. Her torso was exposed as well, with only a layer of bandages protecting her modesty due to the cut along her back that she hadn't noticed till it was pointed out by the healers. She was hurt in other places as well, but she still wished to be dressed in her traveling clothes, instead of the Elfish garments that left little to the imagination.

When Elven servers came out carrying large decanters of wine, Asha waved one over, her expression souring as she gazed at the alcohol. "Do you have tea?" She asked softly, and at their polite nod, Asha smiled. "Peppermint in you have it. Lemon if you do not."

The Dwarves, talking loudly and merrily, filled their glasses with wine, clearly not concerned by the lack of food. Kili, ever the merry Dwarf, poured Asha's wine for her, though he gave her more than she would have liked.

She took a small sip and found that it tasted sweetly of peaches and strawberries. Night was falling as Asha smiled with her friends, for she hadn't been allowed to leave the healers until they had given her a thorough examination.

The server then came back with her pot of tea. The Dwarves looked at the pot, curious.

"Why di' you 'ave 'em bring ya?" Dwalin lifted the top of the pot and took a sniff. "Tea, lass?"

"Peppermint tea." Asha nodded. "Unlike all of you, I'm not accustomed to drinking mass quantities of alcohol."

"Oh really, Asha? And just how much are you used to drinking? Will you get drunk off one glass of wine?" Kili looked terribly entertained by this new revelation about Asha, though, at the mention of her possibly getting drunk off of one glass, Dwalin, Oin, Bofur, and Bifur seemed to be considering taking the wine away.

Asha snorted. "No, Kili, I won't become drunk from a single glass." She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, before adding. "My people do not drink often, and, due to my age, I've never truly drank before."

The older Dwarves stopped eyeing her glass, looking at her with even more confused expressions. Bofur looked positively scandalized by the thought that anyone, let alone a friend of his, had never drunk before.

The conversation was cut short as the food came out, a large variety of breads and vegetables, though no meat, which had all the Dwarves mumbling.

The Dwarves ate mostly bread with a little salad, while Asha and Bilbo munched happily upon the greens and fruits. Many of the Dwarves drank quite a bit of wine, and at Kili's assistance, her wine glass was refilled twice. The Dwarves, she noticed with a frown, were largely unaffected by their drink, although Ori seemed just as red in the face as Asha did, something she was grateful for.

Asha smiled as she ate, crunching on an apple as she watched the Dwarves tell tales and sing songs, clearly deciding that they were tired of the harps and breathy flutes.

Bofur, smiling widely, climbed atop the table and began to sing a song that Bilbo had written and taught to them.

_"There is an inn, a merry old inn_   
_beneath an old grey hill,_

_And there they brew a beer so brown_   
_That the Man in the Moon himself came down_   
_one night to drink his fill._

_The ostler has a tipsy cat_   
_that plays a five-stringed fiddle;_

_And up and down he saws his bow_   
_Now squeaking high, now purring low,_   
_now sawing in the middle._

_So the cat on the fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle,_   
_a jig that would wake the dead:_

_He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune,_   
_While the landlord shook the Man in the Moon:_

_'It's after three!' he said."_

Bofur sang it well, and with a little jig that had them all laughing, Asha more than she might have normally.

Asha grinned, her cheeks hurting from the width of it. The Dwarf moved to jump down form his place on the table, and Asha giggled and moved forward, grabbing his arm only to join him atop the table. She dragged both Fili and Kili with her as well, giggling as she did. The Dwarves noticed that she winced as she moved, but the frown was gone nearly as soon as it appears, and Asha was spinning the three Dwarves in a circle, her bare feet thumping loudly against the wooden table as she did. Despite the fact the table was all but covered with platters and mugs, wine glasses and silverware, she never once disturbed a thing as she danced atop the table.

The Elves couldn't help but chuckle as the Dwarves joined Asha's foot stomping, and, together, they created a rather uplifting, bright melody that left everyone smiling.

Asha nearly fell from the table as the song ended, but the Dwarves easily moved to catch her. Asha laughed as she fell into the arms of the Dwarves, all of whom smiled and lifted her high, praising her name.

Dinner eventually ended, with all of the Dwarves grumbling about the lack of meat while the Elves mumbled about the mess they had made.

Asha diverted the attention of both as she began to talk about the strange woods of her home land.

"What is this wood call, Asha" Oin asked, curious by her description of wood that, when polished, shone like Ivory.

"I know it as Tagua, but I doubt that they call it that here." She finished off her mug of peppermint tea and sat back, speaking without thinking. "Maybe one of these days, Oin, after we retake Erebor and trade has been started, we can find a merchant from the western desert islands and convince him to bring saplings of the trees, so that they can be planted and . . ."

She stopped talking when she noticed the Dwarves staring at her with a combination of wonder and surprise.

She understood why they were looking at her that way when Thorin spoke for the first time that night, looking at her with a more vulnerable expression than she had ever seen him were. "You speak as if you know we will retake Erebor. How can you have so much faith in our Company and our quest that you speak as if we already have? And you talk as if you intend to stay in with us in Erebor, after all is said and done."

Asha looked down, cowed by the honest emotion in their usually gruff leader's voice, noticing how the others were listening intently.

She opened and closed her mouth a few times before finding the words she needed to express her feelings. "I . . . I . . ." She took a deep breath, her expression becoming fierce. "I know we will retake Erebor." She said with such conviction and fire that they found themselves believing her. "I don't believe for a second it will be easy, but I know we'll do it." The fire in her voice died when she continued speaking, her attention turning to a loose strand coming undone from her hair, which had been in a loose bun atop her head. She ignored the Company for a moment before looking up at Thorin with a pleading look, leaving him confused this time. "And I . . . I was actually going to ask you about that, Thorin . . . I was hoping, if it's alright with you, that I could stay in Erebor, once we retake it."

Her words made them all stare. The thought warmed all of their hearts, though none of them had ever thought that a tiny lass would claim a wish to live among Dwarves.

"You want to stay in Erebor? Live among Dwarves for the rest of your life? Why? What about your home, your family?"

Thorin was not expecting the lost expression that spread over her face as she turned to look at the moon, a longing expression that he was all too familiar with on her face. The Company almost knew her words before she spoke them, although her exact words left them shocked.

"How much do you know about the Changelings? How much do any of you know?" Asha asked, her voice low, nearly a whisper.

"Why, lass?" Balin asked, a slight frown spread across his face as he studied the female.

Asha sighed. She had never planned on telling them how she had come to travel with them, but she found that she couldn't lie to them.

"Changelings come in all shapes and sizes. Wolves, rabbits, birds . . . there are more than I could count in a single life time. The one thing that we all hold in common is the fact that, no matter the species, we all run by a pack mentality." She paused, her eyes shadowed as she pulled her knees to her chest, her eyes trailing the clouds as they moved across the moon. "Almost no one knows this of us, for we are more secretive than any other race. When we loose our pack, it can kill us. There use to be many of us, and when the attacks on my people began, only the strong where left. And then there was only my family, the last of the Wolf-Changelings. And now . . . Me." She looked at the group who, by some work of the gods, had grown quiet. "I'm the last one left. I was planing on fading away, allowing myself to return to the earth the day Gandalf brought mention of you to me." Smiling wildly, Asha sighed. "In a way, this quest has saved me, more than you could know. So I thought, if I have no home, no family, no . . . anything, why not see if I could stay where I know I have friends?" She gazed at them all fondly, her expression returned on every face, echoes of the pain from losing one's home and family in their eyes.

"But why not stay among humans?"

"Why do you think that I am the last one?" Asha asked bitterly. "The humans hunted us because they thought us monsters. Orcs hunted us because they thought we did not have a place on this land." She smiled a sad smile. " Besides, if everyone was exactly the same, the world would be an awful boring place."

The Dwarves slowly stood, surrounding the small Changeling in a warm embrace, Kili, nearly taking her breath away he held her so tightly.

She was someone who did not spurn their playful personalities and who appreciated them as they were, not because they were princes, or handsome, or because they could gain her wealth, or any other reason they had had to contend with false friends in the past.

Thorin was not sure what to do with the information being laid before him, about Asha needing a home, about her wanting to stay with them, and about her faith in them, faith that even his own cousin did not share in. He did not know what to do with the information, but knew that he could not turn her away the way his people had once been. Not when he knew how she felt and what she was willing to give up for them by being on this quest, and he felt his last reservations about her fade with these thoughts.

Asha continued, unaware of Thorin's thoughts. "But, if you want me to, I will leave, though I would gladly give up my claim to a portion of the treasure if I could stay."

That cemented it for Thorin.

"There will be no need for that, we would gladly have you stay with us, in Erebor, for the rest of your life, if you so wish." The Company cheered at that declaration, Asha staring at Thorin with a mixture of gratitude, surprise, and thankfulness.

"And a long life it will be, as long as the Dwarves in fact." Gandalf's interjection took everyone by surprise, even more so when they processed what he said.

"What do you mean she will live as long as a Dwarf?" Kili asked, surprise written on his face.

Asha smiled. "I told you before that I'm sixty, but do I look it?"

Kili paused for a moment, understanding her words. "How long can a Changeling live, Asha?"

"Only two hundred years, maybe more if they are hale and healthy." Asha replied, her voice soft.

The Company stared at the Changeling for a moment, and knew that they would not abandon her once they reclaimed Erebor, and they would be friends for years to come.

Asha only smiled happily, her strangely colored eyes shining brightly in the moon light as she looked at her friends around her.

Hours past, and as dawn began to show itself she bid them all good night and headed off to the room the Elves had given her, the Dwarves having spurned a similar offer in favor of staying close together, something Asha did not begrudge them, but she hoped having a bed to sleep on for the first time in nearly two months would keep her nightmares at bay and she would be able to sleep the night through without feeling heart stopping terror and sorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo by beautiful bastards; I hope your having a fantastic day!
> 
> So, this chappie took on a life of it's own. I really wish I had skill when it came to art work, because some of these scenes would be just too damn cute as a drawing. If any of you reading this do happen to have any skill when it comes to that kind of thing, *cough cough* Feel free to throw some fan art my way! I'll post it and everything! 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you've liked the last two chappies!
> 
> Feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> As always, I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chappie! Bye Bye!


	19. Chapter Eighteen

_She saw the sword as it ran through his body, even as he tried to shield his lover, his dark hair staining red._

_In the next moment, she saw her brother become a pincushion of arrows, the weapon she so adored betraying her kin at the hands of another._

_It was her mother, the look in her eyes, the look of her world being destroyed right before her, that sent Asha into motion._

_Her body exploded into a flurry of motion._

_The fury to much to contain._

_And then it felt as if her skin were ripping apart, the bones of her body breaking._

_And then Asha was no longer the young woman that she had once been, but a wolf, terrifying and terrible, it's eyes filled with a deadly fury._

_~~~_

Gandalf shook Asha, trying to free her from her terror, but the moments past and she did not wake. When his shaking didn't work, Kili took her from the Wizard's lap and held her to his chest, and, while stroking her hair and keeping her from thrashing, he sang a Khuzdul lullaby, one he knew well from his childhood.

"Dezeb'aban Mahtarraki undu buara id'abad,  
Little diamond buried in the mountain deep,

Baraz'aban tamhari ina tazlifin id'khazad,  
Little ruby burning while all the dwarros sleep,

Danakih'aban tanlikhi aya uzbad id'kalmu,  
Little emerald shining in the crown of kings,

Uzbad id'kalmu,  
In the crown of kings,

Khagal'aban jalataglimi aya bahazunsh id'aguh,  
Little sapphire gleaming on the raven's wings,

Lai' - 'ibine mim tanniki azhar de,  
Look - my little gem comes home to me,

Lai' - 'ibine mim tanniki azhar de,  
Look - my little gem comes home to me."

Despite the harshness of the language, it was soothing, and the older, worried, Dwarf slowly eased the tiny Changeling from her night terror, and brought her back to the waking world where she clung to him as she tired to regain control of her breathing. Kili continued to sing, and she was grateful for his presence, and his song, which grounded her.

When Asha was calm, she pulled away and looked up to give Kili a watery smile. She moved no further for a moment, until, while a sigh, she stood. The others looked at her closely, hoping for an explanation of what had caused the more severe reaction to her terrors, but she shook her head, her lips sealed by the salt of her tears and iron of her blood where she had, with out knowing, bit her lower lip.

There was nothing she could say that would explain her horror, her memories. So she said nothing.

~~~

The moon was high in the sky, and Asha threw her head back to smile at it, feeling as if she were seeing an old friend. The breeze coasted over the balcony, sending her dress rippling over her legs delicately. Yawning, she climbed onto the railing of the balcony, her back placed against the wall it joint with. She kept one leg inside, straddling the wide railing, knowing that if she didn't, she would fall.

This was how Kili found her, some hour later. "What are you doing?" He asked, keeping the concern out of his voice as he walked onto the balcony to greet her.

Asha turned, blinking in surprise, shocked that he had managed to sneak up on her. She was, for once, given the height advantage by his position on the floor while she sat nearly six inches above him.

"Thinking." She said, turning to gaze up at the moon once again. "Praying."

Kili stepped closer, hoisting his-self up onto the railing. His perch was less stable, without the brace of the wall, the world spiraling away below, but he didn't glance down. To compensate, he sat as she did, sitting with one leg inside, the other out. He drew the small stone his mother had given him from his pocket, gently rubbing it between his thumb and palm.

Asha leaned closer to look and saw that Kili held a slick black stone, tumbled smooth, which he readily handed over when she held out a curious hand.

"Is it a good luck charm?" She asked, gazing at the dwarvish runes which were unfathomable to her. She could identify them as Khuzdul, but that was the extent of her skill on the matter.

"Something like that." Kili watched her study the object. Her hair was falling into her face and he felt the sudden urge to braid it away, so that she would no longer have to flick it in annoyance. Otherwise, she looked like her usual self, wearing the same slight smile as she held the stone up to the moonlight, as if it would reveal more to her. "My mother gave it to be." He elaborated, glancing down. His nervous fingers, relieved of the stone, fidgeted with the laces of his tunic.

Asha looked up at him in confusion, her eyes bright, nearly glowing. "But not for luck?"

Kili's smile was different than usual, smaller, almost sad. He glanced up to the moon, looking for the God Asha might have been praying too. "To remind me that I promised to come back to her." Watching Asha frown at the runes, his smile widened. "She worries." He explained, with more of his usual cheer. "She thinks I'm reckless."

Asha smiled. "Rightly so." She said, returning the stone. Without it to fidget with, her fingers began to trace patters on her skin. Kili watched her movements with bright eyes.

"Who is it that you pray too?" He asked suddenly, his voice weary.

Asha started, dragged from her thoughts at his words. "My people pray to Luna, the goddess of the moon, and creator of all Wolf-Changelings. She is the one who gave birth to my kind, the person you can talk to, no matter the reason, the all mother.

"I've never heard of her." Kili said. He liked the idea, though: a mother, all-powerful, strong enough to bear away pain and fear. "Do you pray to her?

"Sometimes." Asha answered truthfully, thoughtfully, watching as a cloud shadowed the moon for a moment. "I don't always believe in the gods, but I usually believe in here."

Kili contemplated that statement. He’d never thought of faith as something that vacillated – there was Mahal, Aulë, and that was that. No wiggle room, no confusion, no questions. There was often a great deal of anger, in Dwarvish faith, but rarely doubt.

“I always liked the idea of her.” Asha admitted. “Kind, compassionate, strong, brave. People need more mothers like that.”

“Fili and I have a mother like that,” Kili said, thoughtless of him to say, since Asha obviously hadn’t had that kind of mother herself, but his thoughts were slipping away from him and the memory of his father –

“What about your father?” Asha asked, and then winced, remembering how he and Fili had introduced themselves. “Sorry, I –”

“We have no father,” Kili said. “There never was one.”

At this, Lucy raised an eyebrow. “Did you spring from your mother’s brow fully formed?” She smiled.

He liked the idea. So would Dis, he knew, and he resolved to tell her when he saw her next. “Yes,” he decided firmly, and Asha laughed.

“So did I.” she admitted, glancing up at the moon as Kili smiled at her. "I like to think so, at least."

There was no reply to make to that, not really, and so they sat in companionable silence, watching the moon move slowly over the skies above.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo all my beautiful bastards! I hope you're having a great day! 
> 
> This chappie was kinda short, kinda a filler, kinda adorable *wink* and I really hope that you liked it. 
> 
> Kili and Asha are getting fluffer by the moment and I almost can't even handle it! 
> 
> Feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> As always, I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chappie! Bye Bye!


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Long before day break, Kili opened his eyes to find Asha, her face pale and a light bruise blossoming over her temple where the small scar lay, curled into his side, her face pressed into his ribs as she sighed in her sleep. Her small, pale hands were wound tightly into his undershirt, and he could feel her knees pressed against his hip.

A slight cough to his side alerted Kili to his Uncle, who was staring down at him through narrowed eyes.

Glancing through the room, Kili saw Dori, Nori, and Ori sharing a bed, neighboring Bifur and Bofur. Bombur, due to his girth, was allowed his own. Dwalin and Balin had pulled Bilbo down with them, and the Hobbit was spread across the Dwarves legs, mouth agape, eyes shifting under his lids. Oin and Gloin shared their own mattress, and Thorin lay on the outskirts of the two, his arm right arm and leg hanging off the bed, dangling towards the floor.

Asha had followed the Dwarves to their rooms the night before, and they all knew that she was looking for an escape from her night terrors. The lass had dropped onto the Prince's pallet with a yawn, her face turned towards Ori, who lay towards her left. It had become entirely usual for the four youngest to sleep together on the road, bedrolls lined up side-to-side, although Ashlynn was more commonly found on the outside of the line with Ori at her side. They'd fallen into the pattern without thinking after the first fortnight or so, and Kili knew that Asha found comfort in the routine.

"You'll need to wake her soon." Thorin said, ignoring the fact that the lass was pressed so closely to Kili's side. "We leave in one hour."

Nodding, Kili carefully shoved at Asha's shoulder, causing her to frown. Her lashes fluttered once, twice, and then her eyes opened, squinting all about her in confusion.

Then she closed them again to yawn. There was a furious red spot on her forehead from Kili's ribs, and she rubbed at it absentmindedly. "Wha' ya' want, Ki?" Asha mumbled sleepily, her voice thick.

"We're leaving soon. Best you get up and pack your things." Kili informed her softly, turning to nudge his brother. When he turned back to awaken the girl at his side, he was shocked to find that she no longer lay there, in her place lay the large white wolf. Her clothes were folded neatly in a pile on the pillow she had rested upon, her mouth stretched in a wolfish grin.

"Asha, where is your bow and arrow?" Kili asked suddenly, remembering that he had not seen the weapon for some time. Asha ducked from the bed, only to return a moment later with her travel back, which seemed much heaver than it had when the arrived at Rivendell. Inside, he found a new change of clothes, clearly for travel, and several ripe peaches. Her bow and quiver lay inside as well, their wood protected by the her crimson cloak wrapped about them.

Snorting, Kili shook his head. "I never would have noticed. But how are you going to carry this?"

Asha all but snorted and nosed her way through the loop of the travel bag, the long length of leather easily fitting around her neck. She shifted several time, until the bag lay across her back. Huffing, Asha turned to look at Kili proudly, her eyes bright.   
  
The first light of that day found them outside of Rivendell, heading towards the High Pass.

And so ended the stay of Thorin Oakenshield's Company in Rivendell.

~~~

The steep slopes, rocky paths, and sheer drops of the High Pass served to cause a variety of problems for the Company as they traveled.

The steep slopes proved difficult for the heavy Dwarves, and it seemed that no matter where they lay their foot, the ground beneath them would shift, nearly sending them into the ravine below.

It was only due to Nori, and Asha's, quick reflexes that kept the Dwarves safe upon their path. Nori's hand would automatically dart out to grab whatever part of a falling Dwarf he could, though, at times, he found himself nearly going over as well. Asha would sprint forward then, grabbing the heavy Dwarves by cloaks or packs, her face scrunched in concentration as she would drag them back over the edge. She had taken to traveling as a wolf, only shifting at night so that she could talk to the group.

The rocky path put a strain upon her adoptive brother's feet, despite their natural thickness, and his pace slowed. Oin wrapped his feet in bandages to add to the toughness of the Hobbit's feet, but they were soon torn to shreds, prompting Asha to carry Bilbo much of the day. Her light steps easily carried her over the rockiest areas of the path, the extra weight nothing to her wolf.

The sheer drops of the High pass were also a point of concern for the Company, given that none wanted to fall to their deaths. The path was, at times, incredibly narrow, making it more difficult to stay a safe distance from the edge and, if they tripped, they had nowhere to go, especially if they didn't want to knock anyone else over.

They traveled for days on end, camping in various cave they were lucky enough to stumble upon or, on more than one occasion, sleeping on the trail when none was available.

The Company traveled in this fashion for nearly three weeks until, one night, there came a terrible storm.

Rain poured from the sky, making the already treacherous path that much worse by making it slick and hard to see.

Everyone, but Ashlynn due to her wolf form, had their cloaks on and their hoods up. Their heads were bowed in an attempt to keep the wind and rain from their faces, although they found it hard to see the person only feet in front of their eyes. They were silent, trudging along in misery, their feet squishing in their boots, their clothes soaked.

Ashlynn had a large mouthful of Bilbo's cloak, worried that the Hobbit, for all of the durability of his feet, would lose traction and fall. And, so, they kept plodding on, the thunder and lightening deafening. Ever soul within the Company prayed for a cave to appear, or an over pass which would allow to some amount of shelter, for none wanted to sleep on the trail with the weather as it was.

When they heard a resounding crack, the Company pulled back in towards the wall of the cliff, fearing a rock slide, until Balin called out, his voice rising above the din of the storm. "This is no thunder storm! It is a thunder battle! Look!" The old dwarf pointed towards a great stone being picking up a chunk of the mountainside.

"Bless my beard! The legends were true! Giants, stone giants!" Bofur stood at the edge of the ledge, gawking at the sight, Bilbo close to his side.

"Step back, you'll fall!" At Thorin's call, Asha moved to yank Bilbo and Bofur close to the mountainside, her body pressing against theirs as the chunk of the mountain the giant had grabbed was thrown their way. Bofur quickly ducked his head over Bilbo's and wrapped an arm around Asha protectively.

Asha bent over her friends, trying to protect them, and herself, from the falling rocks that were slowly destroying their path. She could feel Bilbo trembling from the cold and fear as his wide eyes watched what happened over her shoulder and under Bofur's head. Asha herself was scared, though she would not admit it if asked. She didn't have time to think anything else as the rock beneath them started to move.

The ground shuddered and split beneath them, the Company being drawn apart as they realized they were on the knees of another stone giant. Asha could hear Fili and Kili yelling at each other, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Her attention, as it were, was focused solely on not falling off the moving rock.

It was then that Asha noticed her half of the Company pulling away from Thorin and the others. Her eyes widened as she saw her friends clinging for their lives to the moving stone while the others moved further and further away. She was slammed into the rocks, nearly loosing her footing as the two giants began to battle above them, oblivious or uncaring of those affected by the movements.

She watched Thorin, Balin, Gloin, Oin, Bifur, and Fili stared at them in growing horror from their nearly stationary knee before jumping to a section of the mountain that seemed, for the moment, to be nothing more than stone.

Their giant, evidently defeated, began to fall then, and Asha watched in shock as the mountain side began to rapidly approach them. It wasn't until Bofur called out for them to jump that Asha realized that they might survive their ordeal yet. The white wolf all but dragged the others with her as she jumped, their hands buried deeply into her fur, causing her a minor discomfort.

No sooner had her feet touched the ground did she find herself scrambling to remove herself from the pile, ears pitched forwards as the cries of Bilbo caught her attention. He was, she saw, hanging from the cliff. Before she could act, Thorin pulled the small Hobbit to safety.

Kili kept his hand knotted in her fur, not entirely sure his cold fingers would unfurl as Fili moved past with a clap to his brother's shoulder, helping the Dwarves who were still sprawled out, gasping, on the rock.

"Are you alright?" Kili asked softly, his gaze filled with worry and fear. They were both breathless and shaking, much like the rest of the group, from cold and wet and terror.

Asha nodded her great head, her muzzle coming forward to rub against his chest, a low whine escaping her throat. Asha allowed his grip of her fur as Thorin hurried past, leading the way. Where he thought to be going, she had no idea, but there was really no choice for anyone of them except to follow.

Dwalin had just put a hand on his brother's arm when he noticed the cave. "Cave! There's a cave righ' here!"

Throin seemed weary, but he nodded quickly. "We will take shelter within. Everyone, move!"

Asha followed her Dwarves closely, nosing each one through the opening, her eyes wide and filled with rain water.

Inside, the families within the Company stood together in huddles, their foreheads pressed together. Thorin passed the Broadbeams, Ri brothers, Oin and Gloin, and Balin and Dwalin to get to his nephews, enormously glad that hey were safe, that the happenings of just a moments past had not been the end of the Company, of his family.

Asha stood with Bilbo, observing the families reaffirming themselves of one another presence, of the fact that they were all alive. It was a touching scene, reminding them both of how Dwarves valued their families above all else.

The familial moments only served to remind Asha that she did not have family to look after, or love. Her heart clenched at the reminder that she would never see her family again, that such things were forever lost to her. Bilbo was the last of what she could consider family, and he seemed to understand Asha's thoughts as he wrapped an arm around her.

Eventually the dwarves awoke from their reverie and set about setting up camp

“Search to the back.” Thorin ordered Bofur and Bifur as they began to move about. "Caves in the mountains are rarely unoccupied."

It took only a moment to confirm that, however, they had lucked upon such a cave. Asha found it odd, since it was spacious and roomy, floored in sand that made for a better bed than bare stone. But she ignored the strangeness and watched as the nightly grouping of familiar clusters began. Bifur, Bofur, Bombur. Oin, Gloin. Dwalin and Balin. Thorin, as usual, slept along. Dori, Nori. Ori, Fili, and Kili.

It was going to a cold night, Asha reflected unhappily as she shifted, quickly pulling a grey tunic over her head, provided by Bilbo, who carefully held his cloak before her, effectively blocking her from the others view. The tunic was overly large on her, reaching her knees easily while the sleeves fell several inches past her finger tips. She slipped a pair of black, ruffled undershorts over her legs, knowing that having the Company catch sight of her . . . there, would be mortifying.

Yawning, Asha watched as Bilbo moved to lay near Balin and Dwalin, while she wandered to Kili, Fili and Ori. She was exhausted, so much so that she choose not to worry over the frown Thorin threw her way. Instead, she clambered between the two youngest Dwarves, pressing her nose against Kili's shoulder, feeling Ori's back line up with her own. A small smile spread across her lips as she buried her face into Kili's back, soaking in his warmth as her muscles relaxed, her overly tired body dragging her into the blissful darkness of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo all my beautiful bastards! I hope your having a great day! 
> 
> First off, holy shit! I hadn't realized how close I was coming to the end of the first book. Dawn Shadows had three, maybe four chapters left, and I can't believe that it's almost done! I should note that at some point, I may go back and re-write the story, adding things from the book, editing scenes, that sort of thing, but for right now, I'm so happy with this! The time has just flown by! 
> 
> I'd like to throw a huge shout out to OMG_Mangos! You're the absolute best and I can't wait to see the fan art that you produce! All the hugs in the world! 
> 
> So, there was a lot that happened in this chappie. The Dwarves left Rivendell, more cute fluff between Asha and Kili, the Thunder Battle, Goblin Caves (Although they don't know about that one yet!) Have I missed anything yet? 
> 
> Next chappie is, I'm warning you now, super gory, and it's going to be more than a little hard to read. It's been hard to write, and I took a lot of inspiration from different authors and fan fictions to get through the next chappie, but I hope that everyone likes it! 
> 
> Feedback is life blood to me, so if you got any, throw it my way. I don't care if it's good, bad, or anything in between. I want to hear it, and if you like what you read, don't forget to hit that awesome little button at the bottom that says Kudos. Yeah, you know the one.
> 
> As always, I love all your beautiful faces, and I'll see you in the next chappie! Bye Bye!


	21. Update and Notice of Editing.

Hallo all my beautiful bastards. I'm back! And so glade to be as well. 

Sorry, but, no, this isn't a real chappie. I'm sorry! I do want to let everyone know that I've gotten to a place that I've been able to come back to my story and start re-working it. Old Chappies will be repost soon, once I get the the point that I like them with the stuff I've changed. New chapters should come up within a month or so, maybe? I'm not sure. I have to work on this around my job, my divorce, and my daughter, so the flow isn't going to be quick. 

As always I love all your beautiful faces, your what's made writing this story so amazing, and I will see you in the next chapter! 

~ AshCoalWriting 

 

 

 


	22. Abandonment

Hello, everyone. First off, I am so sorry that I've gone away again. This time for good. I won't be updating the story anymore, and I've abandoned it in every since of the word. Luckily, all is not despair! My good friend - The_Hobbit_Warrior - has begged me for months for the story line, and I've finally relented and adopted it out to her. She's an amazing writing and I've already read a good portion of what she's re-written and changed to make the story her own, and I love it. I think you all will too! She has changed many things though, and I hope that you'll still see that she managed to capture Asha's unique, beautiful outlook on life, even though it might not be Asha anymore! I love all you beautiful bastards, and thank you so much for sticking with me through everything. Bye Bye~ 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Until Forever](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7523785) by [The_Hobbit_Warrior (The_Winchester_Baby_Girl)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Winchester_Baby_Girl/pseuds/The_Hobbit_Warrior)




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